(RepublicanDaily.org) – A candidate for city council in Granbury, Texas, was arrested just hours before Election Day over charges of possessing child pornography.
Brad Benson, a local businessman, deputy fire marshal, and member of the Granbury Volunteer Fire Department was charged with two counts of possession of child pornography. Benson was charged following his involvement in a serious lewd crime according to the Republican Party of Hood County. He was apprehended in his home in the Watersedge area of Granbury, and police conducted a search of his home and vehicles. His bond was set at $200,000.
The local chapter of the GOP has since unanimously withdrawn its support for Benson after it spoke to law enforcement and acquired more information regarding the case. The party earlier said that in “no way” would it “ever condone” the commission of a serious offense of this nature. Following its conversation with police, the local GOP chapter said that the crimes Benson is accused of “tear at the heart and soul of society, and we condemn them in the strongest terms.”
In a statement posted on social media, the Republican Party of Hood County said that given its stance of promoting “conservative, family values and the protection of children,” Benson’s acts were “antithetical” to those values and the party called on law enforcement and the justice system to issue “swift and severe” punishment against Benson if he is indeed proven guilty of his crimes.
Benson remains listed as a candidate for the city council position.
On his campaign site that has since been taken down, Benson reportedly described himself as a “gay man” and “genuine conservative, both fiscally and ideologically.” His platform was to lower the city’s operating budget, improve the city’s fire department, as well as implement various infrastructure upgrades and projects in the city. “Conservative, Texan, No BS,” read the slogan on Benson’s website.
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