The Texas Speaker of the House of Representatives issued a warrant for the arrest of a Democrat member who fled to Washington, D.C. to avoid a special session. The San Antonio-area Democrat traveled to the nation’s capital with fellow legislators to break quorum and prevent the House from voting on legislation involving election reforms.
Rep. Chip Roy sent a letter on Wednesday to Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and two influential state legislators encouraging them to pass election integrity legislation currently under consideration in the Texas State Legislature that includes several specific safeguards.
Voters in Texas sustained the Republican majority in the state’s House of Representatives despite millions of outside dollars poured into races.
The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election for the next session. The statement follows crumbling support among top Republican leaders and the release of a recording from a meeting that seems to confirm allegations of wrongdoing in June.
A political writer released the long-awaited recording of a meeting he held with the two top Texas Republican House leaders. The tape replays what has been alleged to be a quid pro quo offer from the Speaker of the Texas House in exchange for political action against certain legislators by the writer’s political action committee.
The Texas House General Investigating Committee voted to request an investigation into allegations made against the Speaker of the House and the Republican Caucus Chairman. The accusations stem from a June 12 meeting in the Capitol where the House Speaker and Republican Caucus chairman allegedly made a quid pro quo offer to an activist in exchange for political action against fellow House members.
The Texas Democratic Party and a Democrat State Representative reportedly filed a lawsuit against the man who accused the Texas Speaker of the House and Chairman of the House Republican Caucus of misconduct and bribery. The lawsuit seeks to protect records and force the release on a recording from a meeting between the three parties.
At least three Texas state representatives said they believe the House Speaker has not been truthful about a meeting with a political activist where an alleged bribery attempt took place. The comments come after the legislators listened to a purported recording of the meeting captured by the activist.
A Texas Republican legislator reportedly listened to a recording of a meeting between a Texas political activist and two leaders of the House in which an alleged bribery attempt took place. The legislator said the recording confirms the allegations of wrongdoing by the speaker and the chairman of the House Republican Caucus on June 12.
The Texas Speaker of the House flatly denied an unsubstantiated allegation of bribery made by a political blogger last week. The accuser quickly responded and doubled down on his allegations of misconduct by the speaker and the chairman of the House Republican Caucus but offered no proof.
The Texas Speaker of the House, implicated in an alleged quid pro quo scheme by a Texas blogger, sent an email to his fellow House Republicans offering an explanation of the meeting, but not a denial of the allegation. The speaker is accused by the blogger of offering to deliver an official government action in exchange for political campaign expenditures against targeted House Republicans.
Two key Republican leaders are largely remaining silent on allegations of serious legal and ethical improprieties leveled by a conservative political organization’s leader. The allegations involve promised use of official power from elected officials in exchange for political favors to include government-issued media credentials.