The race is getting hotter.
Former Congresswoman Mayra Flores, a Republican seeking re-election in South Texas, has been accused of stealing pictures of Mexican food from other social media accounts and pretending they were pictures of her cooking — a scandal allegedly dubbed, “GrubGate.”
Earlier this week Flores, who is challenging US Rep. Vincente Gonzalez (D-Texas) to regain his old seat, came under fire after sharing a photo linked by internet snoops to the Facebook page, “Visit Guyana,” in March 2022, the Texas Tribune reported.
A photo that Flores referred to as “gorditas de masa” was shared with the caption “Farm life with Family is the best,” though users on X were also quick to note the food in the photo was not gorditas de masa.
Following the incident, the conservative website Current Revolt found several other instances where Flores shared photos of other people’s Mexican cuisine online and passed them off as his own.
Mayra Flores – who is challenging Democratic Rep. Vincente Gonzalez to regain her old seat – has been accused of stealing pictures of Mexican food from social media and pretending the pictures are of her cooking. AP
The Tribune also found at least two such incidents on his Instagram last year, including a post from July with the caption “Joe Biden not invited to carne asada” in English and Spanish.
In one post Flores wrote, “As a proud Latina who knows how to cook, homemade Mexican food tastes better than a gas stove,” along with a photo of eggs and tortillas on what appears to be a wood-burning stove.
The photo, however, was initially shared on Facebook in 2021 by a Spanish-language magazine.
Earlier this week Flores came under fire after sharing a photo that internet sleuths linked to the Facebook page, “Visit Guyana,” in March 2022, according to reports. Visit Guyana / Facebook Following the incident, the conservative website Current Revolt found several other instances where Flores shared other people’s photos and claimed them as his own. Info Tamaulipas / Facebook
In another post, Flores shared his love for the “simple things in life” like a “delicious breakfast” alongside a photo published two years ago by a Mexican food photographer.
Flores told the Tribune Wednesday that it was never “the intent to mislead.”
“The photo just reminds me of my upbringing in Mexico and my childhood,” he said. “I deleted the tweet to clear up any confusion. I actually spent my Christmas on the farm with my In-laws. Happy New Year!”
Flores recently said it was never “intended to mislead.” Reuters
When asked to specify which photos he was referring to, Flores suggested the outlet should focus on the “border crisis.”
Flores, the first Mexican-born woman to serve in Congress, later changed her handle on X amid the backlash — and reportedly blocked anyone who accused her of passing off the photo as her own.
“George Santos of RGV,” wrote the Gonzalez campaignreferring to the Rio Grande Valley where they lived.
Flores, the first Mexican-born woman to serve in Congress, later changed her hold on X amid the backlash. AP
Gonzalez then called Flores a fraud using the hashtags “#FlukeFlores” and “MayraMentiras.”
Flores is running to unseat Gonzalez, who was elected in November 2022.
Flores did not respond to a request for comment from The Post.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
