Democratic congressional candidate and Grammy-winning Tejano singer Bobby Pulido performed alongside a registered sex offender at a Texas middle school benefit concert in 2018, Axios has learned. Pulido is running to unseat Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas' 15th district.
Pulido has denied knowing about accordionist Frankie Caballero's status as a registered sex offender at the time of the event. The concert occurred roughly a year after Caballero completed a four-year prison sentence for indecent sexual contact with an 8-year-old girl.
A Pulido campaign spokesperson told the New York Post in April that the candidate was "never made aware" of Caballero's status. The Post first reported the association between the two musicians. In response to Axios queries, another spokesperson described scrutiny of the relationship as a politically motivated "nothing story."
Despite these denials, Pulido has openly discussed his decades-long professional relationship with Caballero. He resumed touring with the accordionist just months after Caballero's release from prison, according to prior reports.
The controversy adds a complicating factor to a competitive House race where Pulido is positioning himself as a moderate Democrat. Voters in the district are now weighing the candidate's character alongside his policy platform.