Chambers County city council candidate arrested for election fraud

CHAMBERS COUNTY, Texas - Chambers County Sheriff's Office announced a candidate who was running for city council was arrested after conducting an election fraud investigation in late October 2023.

Kyle Diamond was arrested and charged with election fraud in Chambers County on Thursday after an election integrity task force investigation.

According to officials, a report was made by County Clerk Heather Hawthorne who believed someone was tampering with Beach City's City Council election. Multiple people complained and suspected the person was a candidate in the City Council election.

Sheriff Brian Hawthorne reported Beach City residents claimed someone put what appeared to be falsified official election documents in their mailboxes. The document allegedly intended to persuade residents of Beach City to not vote on Election Day because the election was "canceled."

Kyle Diamond

Investigators say the document was also emailed to multiple registered voters in Beach City weeks before.

Multiple homeowner's security videos and information given led detectives to Diamond as the suspect. After an evidentiary search warrant, authorities were able to confirm the emails along with other electronic evidence and campaign signs of his opponents in his possession.

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Authorities also learned Diamond previously ran for City Council in 2023 and worked at the Texas State Capitol and for an Austin-based political consulting firm.