admin
Bobby Pulido’s campaign just hit a new speed bump — and this one is big enough to rattle voters in South Texas. Axios reported this week that the Democratic congressional candidate performed at a 2018 middle‑school benefit while sharing the stage with Frankie Caballero, a musician who had been convicted of sexually contacting an 8‑year‑old and was on the Texas sex‑offender registry at the time. Video from the event shows children in the audience. That’s a problem voters deserve an honest answer about — not spin or political excuses.
Axios scoop: a school benefit, a registered sex offender, and children in the crowd
The new reporting centers on a May 24, 2018 benefit tied to Harwell Middle School in Edinburg. Promotional materials listed the event as a school fundraiser, and Axios says video of the show shows kids in attendance at the stadium where the concert was held. Frankie Caballero had completed prison time for indecent sexual contact with an 8‑year‑old and remained on the sex‑offender registry when he performed. That fact alone should have triggered alarm bells and questions — not polite nods and band introductions.
Campaign denials strain belief — evidence points the other way
Pulido’s campaign says he didn’t know Caballero’s criminal history and calls the story politically motivated. Fine. But public records and reporting raise hard questions. Bonding documents and interviews show Pulido listed as Caballero’s employer in 2021, and Pulido has publicly talked about the longtime relationship. A 2019 interview resurfaced in earlier coverage where Pulido described getting Caballero “out of jail.” So which is it — ignorance or some version of willful blindness? Voters aren’t impressed by legalese and press releases when video and documents suggest otherwise.
Why this matters in Texas’ 15th Congressional District
This race is tight. Democrats see Pulido as their pickup opportunity in the Rio Grande Valley and have touted his Tejano star power. Republicans see a very different picture: a candidate who has toured for years with a convicted child sex offender, who performed at a school fundraiser while kids were present, and who now can’t give straight answers about what he knew and when. U.S. Representative Monica De La Cruz and GOP groups are using the Axios scoop to press the point — and for good reason. Trust matters in politics, and this raises real, personal safety questions for parents and families in the district.
What voters should expect next is simple. Pulido must answer directly: did he know Caballero was on the sex‑offender registry in 2018, why did he continue to employ him afterward, and what exactly did he mean in past interviews about helping him get out of jail? School officials and event organizers should also explain what vetting, if any, occurred for a benefit tied to a middle school. If Pulido truly had no idea, release the records. If not, be honest and step aside — voters deserve better than excuses. This isn’t a campaign attack; it’s a basic demand for accountability where children were involved.
