Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) mentioned on Thursday that the FBI is “monitoring down” Democratic state lawmakers who fled the Lone Star State because the GOP seems to return them to the state Capitol.
“Texas DPS and the FBI are monitoring down the derelict Democrats. They are going to be taken on to the Texas Capitol,” Abbott wrote on the social platform X.
“Those that obtained advantages for skipping a vote face removing from workplace and potential bribery expenses,” he continued. “In Texas, there are penalties in your actions.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) earlier on Thursday said the FBI had authorized his request for them to assist regulation enforcement companies observe down the Democrats, who fled the state over the weekend to dam Republicans from passing a Home map even friendlier to the GOP.
The FBI declined to remark to The Hill about what Cornyn’s assertion means or if it plans to talk publicly about it.
It’s additionally not clear what the FBI has agreed to by way of aiding Republicans.
Specialists who spoke with The Hill on Wednesday expressed skepticism that the FBI even had the jurisdiction to assist Texas Republicans in forcing Democrats to return to the state.
“I don’t see why the FBI could be concerned on this in any respect. I imply that is Texas politics and the FBI has no enterprise attempting to implement Texas state regulation,” Richard Painter, who served as affiliate counsel to the president within the White Home counsel’s workplace throughout former President George W. Bush’s second time period, informed The Hill.
“The one federal regulation that I believe is being violated in Texas and in Illinois and several other different states is voting rights. I believe gerrymandering violates voting rights, however the U.S. Supreme Court docket’s not prepared to do something about it,” he added, referring to a 2019 resolution that mentioned the problem of gerrymandering isn’t inside the scope of the federal courts.
The GOP’s calls to have the FBI concerned have drawn robust rebukes from Democrats.
“The FBI has no enterprise — or authorized authority — to trace down Texas Home Democrats. The record of individuals prepared to abuse their energy to assist Trump steal 5 congressional seats is rising. It’s a risk to the rule of regulation and our democracy,” mentioned Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), who was a Texas state lawmaker and among the many Democrats who broke quorum in 2003, throughout one other occasion of GOP mid-decade redistricting.