Texas Democrats who tried to sabotage a Republican congressional redistricting plan now have federal agents on their tail, following a request from GOP Sen. John Cornyn for the FBI to get involved in his home state’s drama.
“I am proud to announce that Director Kash Patel has approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats,” Cornyn said in a statement on Thursday, according to Newsweek.
He added, “I thank President Trump and Director Patel for supporting and swiftly acting on my call for the federal government to hold these supposed lawmakers accountable for fleeing Texas. We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities.”
Cornyn initially sent a letter to Patel on Tuesday, asking for the federal government to provide assistance to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and state authorities.
He cited how 50 Texas House Democrats were trying to deny Republicans a quorum in an attempt to block their new district map.
The redistricting plan could add as many as five seats to the Republican total in the House of Representatives next November and triggered Democrats across the country.
The move to redraw the lines early — though considered legal — was seen by some Democrats as unfair. It’s resulted in several outbursts, along with threats of political retaliation from left-leaning states.
Many of the Democrats fled to Illinois, with the help of the state’s Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker.
Cornyn’s letter also raised concerns about potential bribery, citing donations Democrats are allegedly soliciting to avoid paying fines for their absence.
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The Texas House — supported by Texas Republican State Attorney General Ken Paxton — had already passed a resolution calling for the arrest of those who ran.
The fact that Patel greenlit this request shows that there is some validity to Cornyn’s concerns and that Democrats are derelict in their duty as legislators.
The media — and liberal politicians — are glorifying these lawmakers as heroes, but that’s a low bar to reach these days.
President Donald Trump has continually weighed in on the matter and had hinted on Wednesday about the Bureau’s potential involvement.
“They may have to [get involved],” Trump said. “The governor wants them back. If you look, I mean the governor of Texas is demanding they come back. So, a lot of people are demanding they come back.”
He added, “You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back. You have to fight it out. That’s what elections are all about.”
Trump said, they “abandoned” their state, and it “looks very bad.”
When asked about potential pushback from liberal states that want to redraw their district lines early, as well, the commander in chief said Democrats will continue pursuing every advantage, just like they always have.
“Look, a lot of these states, you know, I watched this morning as Democrats are complaining, and they’re complaining from states where they’ve done it, like in Illinois, like in Massachusetts,” he explained.
“The Democrats have done it long before we started,” Trump concluded. “They’ve done it all over the place. They did it in New York. They did it in a lot of different states.”
Sending in the G-men was the right move. All that’s left now is to track them down and bring them back, so they can face the music.
Then launch a full-scale federal investigation into each lawmaker who chose to run, rather than stay and govern.
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