Topline
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, urged the FBI to help Texas law enforcement locate or arrest Texas Democrats who recently left the state in protest of a vote on a controversial redistricting map that would likely help the GOP gain more seats in the U.S. House.
Cornyn made the request Tuesday. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Key Facts
Cornyn made the request a day after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the arrests of the Democrats, who cannot be arrested by Texas law enforcement in the states they fled to, which include New York, Illinois and Massachusetts.
Cornyn said Abbott and Texas law enforcement “are doing what they can within the confines of the law, but federal help may be necessary.”
Cornyn, echoing Abbott’s allegations, said he believed the Democrats who fled “may be guilty of bribery or other public corruption offenses,” an accusation Abbott made Tuesday to involve the Texas Rangers in the search for the Democratic lawmakers.
More than 50 Texas Democrats left the state over the weekend to prevent a quorum in the legislature and thus hinder a vote planned for a congressional redistricting poised to hand five U.S. House seats to Republicans, improving the GOP’s slim majority.
An unnamed Trump administration official told NBC News on Monday there were no plans to use federal agents against the Democrats, saying, “Gov. Greg Abbott can handle his own state,” the official said.
Forbes has reached out to the FBI for comment.
What To Watch For
Texas Democrats have not said when they plan to return, and appear intent on delaying the vote on the congressional redistricting indefinitely. Democratic state Rep. Ramon Romero addressed the threat of arrest or $500 per day fines for blocking the quorum, telling reporters “I’ll pay that price for America.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.