Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Rangers will investigate House Democrats who left to prevent a quorum. “Today, I ordered the Texas Rangers to immediately investigate fleeing Texas House Democrats for potential bribery and any other potential legal violations connected to their refusal to appear for a quorum, conduct business, and cast votes,” Abbott said. The investigation will also review whether others helped the lawmakers, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.
The investigation will examine whether absent Texas House Democrats solicited or received funds for not attending legislative sessions, which could be considered bribery under the Texas Penal Code. Governor Abbott’s office stated, “Reports indicate that many absentee Texas House Democrats have solicited or received funds to evade conducting legislative business and casting votes,” as reported by the Office of the Texas Governor.
Governor Abbott has directed the Texas Rangers to investigate whether financial support given to fleeing Democrat House members could constitute bribery. The Rangers will prepare documentation for prosecutors if evidence is found. Officials noted that “it could be a bribery violation for any other person who offers, provides, or agrees to provide such funds to fleeing Democrat House members.” The investigation is ongoing, as mentioned by the Office of the Texas Governor.
