“Grubgate” hits south Texas

Food is often political, but usually not in the way that this story illustrates. In south Texas, a former U.S. Congresswoman, who is trying to win back the seat she lost after redistricting changed the district’s demographics, has become embroiled in a scandal being called “Grubgate” regarding food photos she posted on her social media accounts. Former Rep. Mayra Flores has frequently posted pictures of food with captions that suggests that she has cooked the food herself. One recent image included a caption of “gorditas de masa” and “the Ranch life with family is the best.”

Soon after the image was posted, a Twitter user noted that the photo had been previously posted on a Facebook page promoting tourism to Guyana. The conservative blog Current Revolt started digging into Flores’ social media history and found several more food photos that were lifted from other sites and passed off as Flores’ own. Eater dived even further into the Grubgate scandal, noting that for “politicians, food is a tool. The right meal signals your connection to the people.”

When questioned about the images by The Texas Tribune, Flores said she didn’t mean to mislead anyone, saying “The photo simply reminded me of my upbringing in Mexico and childhood,” adding that she had deleted the tweet “to clear up any confusion”. When the newspaper followed up with additional questions, Flores responded by saying it should focus on the border situation. She has since changed her Twitter handle and blocked those who accused her of stealing other people’s photos.