Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Grammy-winning musician running for a Texas House seat, is facing increased scrutiny over his past performances with Frankie Caballero, a convicted sex offender. The controversy comes as Pulido is in a close race against Republican Monica De La Cruz for a seat crucial to the Democratic Party's efforts to regain the House majority.
Reports indicate that Pulido performed with Caballero, an accordionist, both before and after Caballero served a four-year prison sentence for indecent sexual contact with an eight-year-old girl between 2014 and 2017. Caballero was released from prison in 2017 and placed on Texas' Public Sex Offender Website. In May 2018, one year after his release, Pulido reportedly boasted about recruiting Caballero to his band. Days later, the two performed together at a benefit concert for a Texas middle school, where children were present. This particular concert was previously unreported.
Caballero has had multiple legal issues throughout his career, including charges for sexual assault in 1994 that were eventually dismissed. He also pleaded guilty to impeding his daughter's normal breathing in 2021. Pulido continued to feature Caballero in his shows periodically until 2021.
Pulido's campaign manager, Abel Prado, previously stated that Pulido was unaware of Caballero's sex offender registration and would not knowingly associate with someone with such a history. However, campaign statements have also acknowledged awareness of Caballero's struggles with 'addiction.' The campaign has indicated that the relationship with Caballero was severed in 2021 when his criminal history came to light.
Pulido's campaign has suggested that the controversy is politically motivated, with a spokesperson telling Axios that Republicans planted the "nothing story." They also stated that Pulido is a "public figure who has been an open book for over 30 years."
However, comments from podcast interviews in 2019 and 2024 suggest Pulido was aware of Caballero's legal troubles. In a 2019 interview, Pulido mentioned Caballero being "locked up" and that he helped get him out of jail when they were starting out, though the specific timeframe and alleged crime were not clear. In a 2024 interview, Pulido spoke about Caballero's inability to "stay out of trouble" despite being a talented musician.