A Texas Democratic congressman recently grabbed attention due to an old video where he claimed he helped a longtime bandmate, who has a serious criminal record and was convicted of sexual indecency with a child, get out of prison. Bobby Pulido, a Latin American songwriter and a candidate for Congress, mentioned in a 2019 interview that he once assisted Frankie Carabello, his ex-bandmate, in securing his release.
Carabello, who played accordion on Pulido’s hit debut album in 1995, was convicted in 2014 for indecency with a child involving an 8-year-old girl. Despite serving a four-year sentence, the two continued to perform together. Their touring resumed in 2018, well after Carabello had been classified as a registered sex offender.
Abel Prado, Pulido’s campaign manager, stated that Pulido was unaware of Carabello’s status as a sex offender and never intended to associate with someone who had such a background. He expressed Pulido’s deep sympathies for the victims involved. However, in the resurfaced 2019 video, Pulido jokingly talked about Carabello’s prison time, suggesting a relaxed attitude toward the situation.
Pulido recounted assisting Carabello early on, mentioning that he had posted bail for Carabello multiple times in previous years. Carabello faced numerous legal issues, and in documents reviewed by the New York Post, it was noted that Pulido’s great-uncle had served as district attorney during a time when critical approvals would have been required for Carabello’s legal matters.
As for Carabello’s criminal record, it includes various charges, such as DUI and indecent contact with minors, among others. However, Pulido didn’t clarify which specific issues he was referencing in his video.
There were also reports regarding Pulido’s social media activity, highlighting explicit posts and a music video that raised eyebrows. Prado conceded that the Democratic Party was aware of Carabello’s past problems with drugs and clarified that Pulido’s comments reflected their long-standing professional connection. Once management became aware of Carabello’s history in 2021, they ended ties with him.
Looking ahead, Pulido is set to challenge incumbent Republican Representative Monica de la Cruz in the upcoming November election. As of now, Pulido’s campaign has not responded to requests for additional comments.
