LaHood denies knowing about early morning spoof call to voters on Election Day

A woman with a coffee cup in hand heads to the polls at the Brook Hollow Branch of the San Antonio Public Library Tuesday March 6, 2018. Polls open today for party primaries as voters decide on a mix of races. A woman with a coffee cup in hand heads to the polls at the Brook Hollow Branch of the San Antonio Public Library Tuesday March 6, 2018. Polls open today for party primaries as voters decide on a mix of races. Photo: John Davenport, San Antonio Express-News Photo: John Davenport, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 77 Caption Close LaHood denies knowing about early morning spoof call to voters on Election Day 1 / 77 Back to Gallery

An early morning automated phone call claiming to be from the campaign of district attorney candidate Joe Gonzales was made to voters at 5 a.m. on Election Day, prompting an angry response from Gonzales who said he had nothing to do with it.

“I have just learned that a robo call was sent out at 5:00 am this morning,” Gonzales said in a statement. “The call was created so that it appears to have come from my campaign and is clearly an attempt to anger voters by calling when most are asleep. I am appalled that someone would mislead voters in this manner.”

On caller ID, the calls appeared to come from the same telephone number as Gonzales’ campaign. But the candidate said the calls were spoofed to make it look that way.

Gonzales vowed to “fully investigate” and hold the responsible parties accountable. Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood, Gonzales’ opponent in the heated Democratic primary race, said he knew nothing about the phone calls.

“I have no idea what his campaign is doing,” LaHood wrote in a message to the San Antonio Express-News.

It’s the latest chapter of an ugly race between LaHood and Gonzales. In campaign advertising, LaHood has accused Gonzales, a defense lawyer, of seeking business from sexual offenders. LaHood’s latest advertisements equate voting for Gonzales with sexual diseases and higher taxes.

Gonzales called the advertisements “outlandish” and “Trump-like.”