Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) says FBI Director Kash Patel has responded to his request to assist state and native regulation enforcement find or arrest Texas Democrats who have fled the Lone Star State in hopes of stalling a partisan redistricting effort.
Cornyn posted on social platform X that Patel “has responded to my request to help state & native regulation enforcement find the runaway Texas Home Democrats and examine potential offenses.”
“Thanks Director Patel on your swift response & motion!” Cornyn posted.
Cornyn asked Patel in an Aug. 5 letter for the FBI to “take any acceptable steps to assist in Texas state regulation enforcement efforts to find or arrest potential lawbreakers who’ve fled the state” to cease a Republican-led redistricting effort from shifting ahead.
The state lawmakers have left Texas to stop the state Home from attaining a quorum, which is important for redistricting laws to maneuver ahead.
Cornyn says the state lawmakers are “probably performing in violation of the regulation” and that the FBI has the instruments to assist state regulation enforcement when events cross state strains.
“Particularly, I’m involved that legislators who solicited or accepted funds to assist of their efforts to keep away from their legislative duties could also be responsible of bribery or different public corruption offenses,” he wrote earlier this week.
The senator warned that his request is a “time-sensitive matter” because the Texas legislature is in a particular session with two weeks left to redraw the Congressional map.
President Trump has also supported the hassle.
The Hill reached out to the Justice Division for a response to Cornyn’s feedback.