George Fuller files complaint over McKinney recall signatures

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

McKINNEY, Texas — Former Mayor George Fuller filed a criminal complaint challenging the truthfulness of sworn statements on McKinney’s recall petitions, alleging that some people certified signatures they did not personally witness.

Fuller said he submitted the complaint Oct. 7. McKinney police confirmed forwarding it to the Texas Rangers, and the Texas Department of Public Safety said Thursday that the Rangers were reviewing the information but had not opened a formal investigation.

Collin County Citizens for Integrity (CCCI), a political action committee supporting the recall, questioned the timing of Fuller’s allegations, defended the petition effort and said it had filed complaints concerning Fuller and others.

Why Fuller filed

“Initially, my concerns involved misinformation used to obtain signatures,” Fuller said.

He said a nursing home resident told him they had been asked to sign a petition to stop the mosque from being built, then learned it sought to remove council members they had supported.

Fuller also described hearing from residents who questioned collectors about the recall.

“When they asked those walkers the most basic questions concerning the recall, the walker confessed they did not know any details beyond what they were told to say concerning a mosque and airport,” he said.

Those accounts have not been independently corroborated.

“We’ve documented multiple discrepancies involving different individuals, but the total number of potentially affected pages and signatures remains undetermined,” Fuller said. “That’s part of what we hope investigators will establish.”

Police confirm referral

“The McKinney Police Department did receive a complaint regarding this matter and forwarded it to the Texas Rangers,” Officer Fabiola Ramirez, the department’s public information officer, said Thursday.

Texas Department of Public Safety Press Secretary Sheridan Nolen addressed the matter’s status.

“The Texas Rangers are currently reviewing information received from the McKinney Police Department regarding this matter; however, no formal investigation has been launched at this time,” Nolen said.

Recording and sworn statements

Fuller provided a recording, a witness affidavit and a petition page containing the witness’s signature. Those materials were reviewed for this article.

The recording shows a man identifying himself as Patrick asking a resident to sign the recall petition. No other signature collector is visible at the door during the signing.

The petition page contains a circulator statement bearing the name Rachael L. Elliott and a signature dated Sept. 24. The statement affirms that the person signing it personally circulated the petition paper and that all signatures on the page were signed in that person’s presence.

In a separate affidavit signed and notarized Oct. 7, the resident states that Elliott neither solicited nor witnessed their signature. The resident further states that, to the best of their observation, Elliott was not present at the signing location while they were there.

The resident’s identity is being withheld at the source’s request.

The recording shows only what falls within the camera’s view. The assertion that Elliott was absent comes from the resident’s sworn account. Neither establishes that a crime occurred.

Elliott was contacted Thursday for comment and offered to call back. A follow-up message was sent that evening, but no comment had been received by publication.

PAC questions timing

In a Facebook statement responding to Fuller’s allegations, CCCI questioned why he raised concerns after the petitions were submitted.

“If Mr. Fuller had evidence or concerns regarding the signature-gathering process, he had the opportunity to raise them while signatures were being collected,” the statement said.

“We believe the timing of these accusations, weeks after submission, raises serious concerns about continued intimidation and harassment.”

The PAC also expressed confidence in the petitions: “We remain confident that the number of valid signatures will meet the legal threshold, subject to official verification.”

CCCI said it had filed complaints concerning Fuller and others with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Texas Rangers. It also said residents had filed police reports alleging intimidation and harassment connected to the recall.

McKinney police were asked to confirm the intimidation and harassment reports, and DPS was asked about CCCI’s complaint to the Rangers. Neither had responded to those inquiries by publication. The reported DOJ complaint has not been independently verified.

Fuller responds

Responding to CCCI’s criticism of the timing, Fuller said the petition documents were necessary to assess his concerns.

“The evidence of suspected fraud and perjury could not be confirmed until the petitions were submitted and the actual sworn documents became available for public inspection,” he wrote in a subsequent Facebook post.

He alleged that approximately half the signatures appeared on pages certified by three individuals. That count has not been independently verified.

Fuller said the complaint asks investigators to examine whether the alleged conduct was coordinated, including what role, if any, Paul Chabot or CCCI played beyond recruiting collectors.

Recall organizer John Aselton told Dallas Express in its Oct. 15 report that organizers had not heard from police or the Rangers and would cooperate with a lawful review. He expressed confidence in the petitions and collection process.

Recall review continues

The petitions, submitted Sept. 25, seek the removal of Mayor Bill Cox and council members Ernest Lynch, Geré Feltus and Justin Beller. City Secretary Empress Drane previously identified Nov. 17 as the tentative date for reporting signature-review results.

Mr. Paul Chabot and the recall campaign were contacted for comment but had not responded by publication.