Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) says FBI Director Kash Patel has responded to his request to help state and local law enforcement locate 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 assist state & local law enforcement locate the runaway Texas House Democrats and investigate potential offenses.”
“Thank you Director Patel for your swift response & action!” Cornyn posted.
Cornyn asked Patel in an Aug. 5 letter for the FBI to “take any appropriate steps to aid in Texas state law enforcement efforts to locate or arrest potential lawbreakers who have fled the state” to stop a Republican-led redistricting effort from moving forward.
The state lawmakers have left Texas to prevent the state House from achieving a quorum, which is necessary for redistricting legislation to move forward.
Cornyn says the state lawmakers are “potentially acting in violation of the law” and that the FBI has the tools to aid state law enforcement when parties cross state lines.
“Specifically, I am concerned that legislators who solicited or accepted funds to aid in their efforts to avoid their legislative duties may be guilty of bribery or other public corruption offenses,” he wrote earlier this week.
The senator warned that his request is a “time-sensitive matter” as the Texas legislature is in a special session with two weeks left to redraw the Congressional map.
President Trump has also supported the effort.
The Hill reached out to the Justice Department for a response to Cornyn’s comments.
