Texas Democratic congressional nominee Bobby Pulido is facing fresh scrutiny after a resurfaced social media post shows him downplaying the severity of child molestation.
That controversy, which adds to earlier revelations that he brought a convicted child sex offender to perform at a middle school benefit concert, is now pulling in heat for fellow Texas Democrat James Talarico‘s Senate campaign.
One post from Pulido, dating back to August 2018, reads, “Child molestation is abhorrent. But is not necessarily rape or murder, what you said. My point, and Geraldo’s point, is they have been unfairly demonized. It’s like if I said that whites shouldn’t be able to buy guns because most mass shooters are white.”
Child molestation is abhorrent. But is not necessarily rape or murder, what you said. My point, and Geraldo’s point, is they have been unfairly demonized. It’s like if I said that whites shouldn’t be able to buy guns because most mass shooters are white
— Bobby Pulido (@bobbypulido425) August 23, 2018
The tweet resurfaced after a separate report from Axios revealed Pulido had brought his longtime friend and bandmate, Frankie Caballero, to a 2018 benefit concert at a Texas middle school. Caballero is a convicted child sex offender who was sentenced to prison for indecent sexual contact with an 8-year-old girl.
Video from a later 2018 performance shows Pulido introducing Caballero on stage, calling him a “bad man” before making a joke about where Caballero went to school. Pulido laughed off the moment, telling the crowd he was “just kidding.” Pulido had previously said he did not know of Caballero’s criminal history at the time of the concert, but he has also been recorded boasting in a 2019 interview about helping get Caballero out of jail, per The New York Post.
Court records also show that Caballero’s son, Frankie Caballero Jr. pleaded guilty in 2002 to sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl and is also now required to renew his status annually on the Texas sex offender registry. Caballero Jr., who performs as a Tejano singer, has referenced his relationship with Pulido in promotional materials as recently as 2023, describing himself as having “grown up touring” with the candidate.
Pulido is running to unseat Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas’ competitive 15th Congressional District this November.
Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft, when asked for comment, took the opportunity to link the controversy to another closely watched Texas race — Democrat James Talarico’s bid for U.S. Senate.
“Would James Talarico have welcomed Pervy Pulido and his sex offender buddy into his classroom? Talarico’s silence speaks volumes and confirms that he is a spineless and soulless politician who uses child victims of sex abuse as political pawns while supporting actual creeps and sex offenders,” Kraft told The Dallas Express.
Talarico’s campaign had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication. Pulido’s campaign also did not respond to a request for comment on the resurfaced tweets or his relationship with the Caballero family.
Provided by Dallas Express
