Aron Peña, the district director for Congresswoman Mayra Flores’ congressional office, has been accused of sexual harrassment from multiple women who work in GOP organizations and campaigns.
This story was first reported by the alt-right blog Current Revolt, who was told of the allegations by staffers working under Peña while at the Texas GOP Convention in Houston.
The allegations include illicit Snapchat and text messages Peña sent to staffers, abusive workplace behavior and physical sexual harassment towards staffers. The Cameron County GOP chair, Morgan Cisneros Graham, says Peña left his role with Flores due to health issues. Flores’ campaign and congressional office have not responded to TPR’s queries about Peña’s employment. Mention of Flores has been removed from his Twitter account. She also stated the allegations date back to when Peña worked in the Republican Party of Texas this year.
Graham, who is also a state committeewoman for Senate District 27 for the Republican Party of Texas, was contacted in April by a person who worked in the Hidalgo County GOP, who revealed to her details about Pena’s predatory behavior towards young female staffers, she said. Graham then told the person to share with John Beckmeyer, the Executive Director of the Republican Party of Texas, all of the details and evidence she had of Peña’s abuse, which included written complaints. Graham also told Texas GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi about the alleged behavior.
Beckmeyer launched an investigation into the allegations. But the investigation fizzled out after victims did not come forward, and Peña joined Mayra Flores' campaign when Flores won the election in June, Graham said.
Aron Peña was employed by the Republican Party of Texas up until June 23, the organization told TPR. Rinaldi said in a statement to TPR that the party has a zero tolerance policy for sexual harrassment. “Any person found to have sexually harassed another will face disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from employment,” Rinaldi’s statement read. “All complaints are taken seriously and treated with respect and in confidence. That process was followed in this instance.”
These instances of abuse are part of a larger problem in the Hidalgo County GOP, Graham said, an organization that includes Peña’s family members in positions of power. His sister, Adrienne Peña-Garza, is the chair of the Hidalgo County GOP. His father, Aaron Peña, is a former Texas House of Representatives member for District 40, which encompasses Edinburg and part of McAllen. Aaron Peña is currently running for the Place 3 seat in Texas’ Thirteenth Court of Appeals and has the Republican nomination.
The politically active family regularly hosts law enforcement agencies at events, which Graham finds to be a conflict of interest. She said she has shielded her own volunteers from Hidalgo County GOP events because of the family’s reputation regarding treatment of volunteers.
This political reach concerns Graham, who is worried the alleged victims will not receive justice if Aaron Peña is elected to the Thirteenth Court of Appeals.
“So imagine if somehow justice prevails and [the victims] seek criminal charges, and what if [the Peñas are] found guilty. They’re obviously going to appeal it. Where does it go? It would go to this man’s peers,” Graham said.
Peña worked for Lt. Governor Dan Patrick between 2015 and 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile. During that time, he was referred to as the “Austin creeper,” Graham said, because of his behavior and pursuit of younger women.
Peña’s behavior towards women has been complained about before within the Hidalgo County GOP. Janie Melendez, the Hidalgo County GOP Precinct 20 Chair, wrote to Beckmeyer on April 2 that Peña made a sexist remark to her after she stated she could not block walk or phone bank. “Peña mentioned that he had looked at the RPT [Republican Party of Texas] app and noticed that I was not banking or block walking. I have severe asthma and block walking is not an option for me,” Melendez wrote in the email. “I told Mr. Aron Peña that I was volunteering for candidates, but not using the app. Mr. Aron Peña then proceeded to tell me that I needed to go to the office and clean it.”
She continued, “I have a Master[s] in Public Administration and a Master[s] in Criminal Justice and did not go to school to clean offices.”
Editor’s Note: This is a developing story that will be updated.
