(Texas Scorecard) – Fort Bend County Judge KP George is facing felony charges for money laundering up to $150,000, marking the latest twist in a long-running controversy surrounding his office.
George was arrested on Friday and charged with two counts of money laundering, each a third-degree felony.
George, who has served two terms as county judge, has been at the center of controversy since September due to his association with his chief of staff, Taral Patel.
Jail records reveal that George’s charges stem from allegedly laundering sums between $30,000 and $150,000, which reportedly occurred between January 12 and April 22 of 2019. Each charge carries a fine of $10,000, and if convicted, George faces a prison sentence ranging from 2 to 10 years.
Court records also indicate George may have tampered with a government document, specifically a campaign finance report.
In a statement released on Friday, the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office clarified that it had “filed a misdemeanor charge of Misrepresentation of Identity/Candidate against KP George last year, which is pending in County Court at Law No. 5,” adding:
This came after an investigation into an associate of Mr. George was expanded to implicate George himself. The District Attorney’s Office has continuously stated that the investigation was ongoing, and that investigation has now led to two 3rd-degree felony indictments for Money Laundering, which were made public today. These charges are unrelated to the pending misdemeanor and are assigned to the 458th District Court.
As the investigation continues, further details about the alleged money laundering have not been disclosed. Fox26 in Houston previously reported that George, a Democrat, might be considering a switch to the Republican Party following a vote to redraw district lines in a way that favored Republicans in Fort Bend County.
The initial charge against George was a Class A misdemeanor for misrepresenting the identity of a candidate.
Patel, on the other hand, was charged with creating fake social media accounts impersonating district officials and posting racist comments against himself to gain sympathy from voters.
In February, George issued a statement about the misdemeanor charge, claiming that it was part of a broader effort to tarnish his reputation. He also alleged that he was detained for three hours by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, despite being a U.S. citizen.
However, Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan denied this claim, stating, “His statement was false … he was here for an hour and 13 minutes.”
Fagan further explained that it is common practice for ICE to verify a person’s immigration status during an investigation if the individual is not a natural-born U.S. citizen.
In response to the felony charges, George again framed the issue as political weaponization.
| “As an elected official, I have always operated with integrity and transparency. Let me be absolutely clear—there is nothing illegal about loaning personal funds to my own campaign and later repaying that loan. This is a standard and lawful practice. Unfortunately, this is a continued example of the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s office weaponizing the government with an obvious political witch hunt. Allegations and accusations are being made without full context or disclosure of the facts—deliberately manipulating the narrative to tarnish my reputation and character. I have full confidence that the truth will prevail. In the meantime, I remain committed to serving and fighting for the people of Fort Bend County with the same passion and dedication as always.” |
In reaction to the new charges, Fred Taylor, chair of the Fort Bend County Democratic Party, expressed displeasure with George’s actions. “I am very disappointed in Judge George, and his actions have shown that he has not used good judgment in the office that he holds,” Taylor said.
The Fort Bend County Democratic Party has called for George to step down from his position as county judge.