Harris County officials say they reached a temporary agreement with the Texas Attorney General's Office in response to a lawsuit. The state had sued the Harris County Clerk and the clerk's communications director over social media ads for the midterm election.
The Attorney General's Office said the county Elections Department targeted African-American, Asian and Latino audiences with ads urging residents to "Plan. Check. Vote!" before the Nov. 3 election. The state said the ads used interests such as "African-American history," "Hispanic kitchen" and "Latin dance."
In a statement Friday, Interim Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin said the audience targeting on the ads had already been removed. The statement said the ads contain nonpartisan voting information and denied the allegations. It also said the county learned of the lawsuit through a press release rather than direct contact from the AG's office. The statement called the claims baseless and criticized Attorney General Ken Paxton.