Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is offering a lucrative reward for anyone who reports an incident of voter fraud and can turn over evidence to local law enforcement.
Patrick, a Republican, said he would pay a minimum of $25,000 for anyone who gives information leading to an arrest and final conviction of someone who engaged in undermining election integrity. The lieutenant governor said he would pay up to $1 million as a reward to those who come forward. The money would come from Patrick’s campaign fund, according to the Texas Tribune.
“This lack of transparency has led many to believe that the final count is not accurate in states where the winner was determined by a very small percentage of the vote,” Patrick said in a press release. He added that he backs President Trump’s efforts to look into how voting oversight was conducted in the 2020 election.
While Patrick mentioned no evidence of found voter fraud, he pointed to several incidents of arrests that occurred in Texas, including one involving a social worker who faces allegations of registering to vote 67 residents in a supported living center without their consent.
On Saturday, several media outlets declared presumptive President-elect Joe Biden the victor of the election after the former vice president won Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes.
Trump has embarked on a number of legal battles in several states, pushing accusations that the election was unfairly played out. A number of other prominent Republicans have alleged there was fraud involved in some states and not enough transparency in how the process was conducted. Little evidence has yet to be presented on such accusations.
“I support President Trump’s efforts to identify voter fraud in the presidential election and his commitment to making sure that every legal vote is counted and every illegal vote is disqualified,” Patrick said. “President Trump’s pursuit of voter fraud is not only essential to determine the outcome of this election, it is essential to maintain our democracy and restore faith in future elections.”
Patrick first took office in 2015. In Texas, Republicans were able to maintain their grip up and down the ballot, despite analysts and pollsters predicting the state had grown blue pockets. In the 2020 election, the Lone Star State was viewed as a “Toss Up,” which ultimately went comfortably for Trump.
