Texas Democrats who fled could face felony bribery charges, governor says

Texas Democrats who fled the state to break quorum and disrupt redistricting efforts could face felony bribery charges, Republican Governor Greg Abbott suggested in an interview with Fox News Digital.

As some AWOL Democrats are reportedly planning to return in time for a second special legislative session to begin next week, Abbott, who previously served as the state’s attorney general and sat on the state supreme court, told Fox News Digital that Texas is looking into whether they violated laws against bribery by taking money to break quorum.

“There had been some identification of some people paying for it,” Abbott explained. “I’ve got to tell you, it raises a serious legal question for these officeholders, and that is, they were promised money if they did break quorum. That would be a bribe that could lead to a felony charge.”

According to Abbott, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, also a Republican, is investigating whether the Democratic lawmakers could be hit with felony bribery charges.

“That also is something that the Texas attorney general is investigating and actually even got a temporary injunction from a court stopping any more money being given to these House members because of the potential bribe consequences,” the governor explained.

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This comes after Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey handed down a temporary restraining order last Friday against Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke and his group, Powered by People, over alleged “unlawful fundraising practices” tied to efforts to support Texas Democrats who fled the state — including funding air travel, lodging, logistics and daily fines. 

Fahey’s order bars O’Rourke or his group from continuing to fundraise or provide financial support to the fleeing Texas Democrats.

In the order, Fahey wrote that “defendants have and will continue to engage in unlawful fundraising practices and utilization of political funds in a manner that either directly violates or causes Texas Democratic Legislators to violate [the law]” and that contributors to the group “have and continue to suffer irreparable harm through these unlawful acts because they are making political contributions that are being used to fund personal expenses and violate state law.”

In light of this, Abbott warned that “these House numbers are going to be facing not just the challenges of having to come back in deal with the consequences of their failure to be here but also deal with potential bribery charges against them.”

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The redistricting bill that has Democrats in an uproar was passed by the Texas Senate on Tuesday. If eventually passed by both chambers of the Texas legislature and signed into law by Abbott, Texas’ new districting map will give Republicans an estimated five additional seats in Congress. Now, all that stands in the way are the rogue House Democrats.

Abbott said he has Texas law enforcement “scouring the streets of Texas right now to identify whether or not there are any Democrats remaining in the state of Texas.”

“If they are, they will be arrested and taken to the Texas Capitol to try to make quorum,” he said.

“There are 88 Republicans who are ready and able to work. We need 12 Democrats to show up. So, we’re looking for 12 Democrats in the state of Texas, or if they’re all out of state, we’re looking to identify them and as you point out, using federal officials and others to assist us in that effort,” he said.

Abbott has faced heavy criticism from Democratic leaders and other governors from across the political aisle for not backing down on Texas’ redistricting plans.

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On Monday, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom called on President Donald Trump to “call Greg Abbott and tell him to stand down.”

“You are not ‘entitled’ to 5 congressional seats. If you do not call your lapdogs off, CA will act quickly and swiftly. We will go to the ballot. We will neutralize whatever gains you make. We will not stand by while you light Democracy on fire,” said Newsom.

In another X post by Newsom’s official press office page, the governor appeared to mimic Trump’s idiosyncratic style of using all-caps and superlatives for many of his posts, writing, “CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE ‘BEAUTIFUL MAPS,’ THEY WILL BE HISTORIC AS THEY WILL END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY (DEMS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE!).”

The post said Newsom would be holding a press conference this week on the matter and that it “WILL BE DEVASTATING FOR ‘MAGA.’”  

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Abbott, however, said he remains unfazed by such attacks from Democrats.  

“Listen, these Democrats in other states are just completely out of control,” he told Fox News Digital. “They’ve been engaged in gerrymandering for decades in California, Illinois, New York, and elsewhere, and what they have lost touch with is the people.”

He pointed out that Texas’ redistricting plans are within legal parameters, explaining, “What’s happened here is that the law changed in the state of Texas last year that authorized the state to be able to redraw these lines because of a legal change that doesn’t require coalition districts.”

“So, we’re able to draw these districts in way in which representatives are going to be lining up with the values of voters of the state of Texas,” he said, adding, “What we’re doing in our state is to make sure that we are going to have the districts represented by people who actually represent these voters.”

In response, a spokesperson for Newsom directed Fox News Digital to another X post by the governor’s office that mocked Abbott for saying the redistricting effort reflects the will of the voters, saying, “Is GREG ABBOTT’S POWER GRAB now going to the voters???” 

Spokespersons for both Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, both Democrats, also referred Fox News Digital to previous comments made by the governors. 

Hochul’s office pointed to comments she made speaking on Fox News on Sunday in which she called the redistricting effort a “legal insurrection.”

“Texas, knock it off, we’ll knock it off and let’s get back to governing,” said Hochul. “But you want to play these games? We’re not going to sit on the sidelines because we fight back.” 

A spokesperson for Pritzker simply said, “think he’s been pretty clear,” while referring Fox News Digital to prior comments by the governor. 

Fox News Digital also reached out to the Texas House Democratic Caucus but did not immediately receive a response. 

Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel and Christina Shaw contributed to this report.