The ongoing legal saga involving Fort Bend County Judge KP George and his former Chief of Staff Taral Patel took another turn this week, as prosecutors delayed George’s hearing to allow for further evidence to be obtained.
After months of legal proceedings involving Fort Bend County Judge KP George and his Chief-of-Staff Taral Patel, George’s hearing in the social media hoax case has been reset. Prosecutors requested the delay, citing the need for additional device extractions before proceeding to trial.
Last week, Patel pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of misrepresentation of identity by a candidate. These charges stem from his creation of fake social media accounts, through which he impersonated elected officials and posted racist comments targeting himself. The apparent intent was to garner public sympathy and voter support.
Patel was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication probation. Under the terms of his probation, he must avoid all contact with the officials he impersonated, write them apology letters, complete 200 hours of community service, and cooperate by providing testimony in ongoing investigations.
Additionally, Patel was granted a two-year pre-trial intervention agreement for four felony charges of online impersonation. As part of this agreement, he is required to donate $2,000 to the Fort Bend Partnership for Youth and complete 400 hours of community service.
Following Patel’s sentencing, Jared Woodfill, the attorney representing Judge George, issued a statement:
“[Fort Bend County DA] Brian Middleton is using Mr. Patel as a pawn in an effort to take out his political opponent, Judge George. Judge George has never even been found liable by [the] Texas Ethics Commission, the body responsible for investigating alleged violations of the Texas Election Code.”
In addition to the misdemeanor charges tied to the social media hoax, Judge George was re-arrested on April 4 and charged with two counts of money laundering. Responding to the charges, George stated: “There is nothing illegal about loaning personal funds to my own campaign and later repaying that loan. This is a standard and lawful practice.”
Back in December 2024, prosecutors began investigating the contractual collaboration between George and Patel related to online impersonation and misrepresentation of identity. As of yesterday, both parties agreed to reschedule George’s court appearance. While prosecutors reported having most of the necessary evidence to proceed, they noted that further device extractions were still pending.
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