Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is facing questions over his endorsement of congressional candidate Bobby Pulido, whose campaign has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks over his longtime relationship with a former bandmate convicted of a child sex offense.
Talarico publicly endorsed Pulido’s campaign last year. The two Democrats have also campaigned together and appeared on Pulido’s podcast, underscoring Talarico’s support for the South Texas congressional candidate.
Pulido, a longtime Tejano musician, is the Democrat nominee challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas’ 15th Congressional District.
Before entering politics, Pulido spent decades performing with former bandmate and accordionist Frankie Caballero. Caballero was convicted in 2014 of indecent sexual contact with a child and sentenced to four years in prison.
Following his release, Caballero returned to performing with Pulido, including at a benefit concert held at an Edinburg middle school. Pulido has maintained he was unaware Caballero was a registered sex offender, saying he only knew his former bandmate had struggled with addiction.
Questions surrounding Pulido have intensified following a series of reports examining his relationship with Caballero, including newly highlighted 2018 social media posts in which Pulido defended his decision to have Caballero perform at the school event.
In one post, Pulido wrote that child molestation is “abhorrent” but “not necessarily rape or murder” while arguing that sex offenders had been unfairly demonized.
In another, he said Caballero’s criminal history was public record but that he couldn’t believe it had not been more widely publicized so “someone like me can see” it.
Texas Scorecard asked Talarico’s campaign whether he still stands by his endorsement of Pulido in light of the recent reporting. As of publication, his campaign had not responded.
Republicans, meanwhile, are tying Talarico to the controversy.
“Would James Talarico have welcomed Pervy Pulido and his sex offender buddy into his classroom?” Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft told Texas Scorecard.
“Talarico’s silence speaks volumes and confirms that he is a spineless and soulless politician who uses child victims of sex abuse as political pawns while supporting actual creeps and sex offenders.”
