The Texas GOP took a firm stand against antisemitism this weekend, with its executive committee voting to officially censure House Speaker Dade Phelan and to ban any associations with antisemitic individuals or groups. According to KXAN, this comes after a controversial decision in November when the committee narrowly defeated a similar measure amidst an uproar over the ties between a major donor group and white supremacists.
The resolution to distance the party from antisemitism passed unanimously with two abstentions. This decision lifts the party from the shadows of a scandal that first came to light in October, involving Jonathan Stickland, the former leader of Defend Texas Liberty, who had hosted Nick Fuentes, an infamous white supremacist. Further reporting by The Texas Tribune has since uncovered additional ties between avowed antisemites and the political action committee.
Speaker Phelan, alongside 60 other House Republicans, had previously urged party members to redirect any funding from Defend Texas Liberty to pro-Israel charities. This recent censure of Phelan by the party's executive committee, by a vote of 55-4, also held him accountable for matters including his role in the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton and a perceived failure to advance border security legislation. The Texas Tribune also reported that Defend Texas Liberty's financial backers have formed a new political action committee, Texans United For a Conservative Majority, which is now actively participating in this year's primaries.
In contrast to the previous controversial resolution, the language of the new antisemitism resolution is toned down but still carries the weight of the party's opposition to antisemitism and associations with any individuals or groups that support it. The resolution was a reversal from the Texas GOP's stance from late last year, which failed to crystallize amid concerns that the language used was too vague and could potentially complicate relationships with donors or candidates. Despite the changes, the intent to disassociate from such hate was clear in the committee's actions.
Following the censure, Phelan's spokesperson, Cait Wittman, criticized both the censure and the executive committee's earlier failure to take a stand against antisemitism. "This is the same organization that rolled out the red carpet for a group of Neo-Nazis, refused to disassociate from anti-Semitic groups and balked at formally condemning a known sexual predator before he was ousted from the Texas House," Wittman wrote, according to KXAN, stressing that the executive committee "has lost its moral authority and is no longer representative of the views of the Party as a whole."
