FBI Director Kash Patel has agreed to aid the search for the Texas Democratic lawmakers who left the state to protest new congressional maps, Sen. John Cornyn said Thursday.
Texas Republicans have been trying to bring the Democrats back so there are enough lawmakers on the floor for a quorum, which would enable them to vote on new congressional maps likely to increase the GOP advantage in the state. Texas requires two-thirds of the House — or 100 of the 150 representatives — to be present for a quorum.
It’s unclear what the laws the legislators have broken that would involve the FBI. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called for civil arrest and said he had ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to force them to return. But Texas DPS does not have jurisdiction outside the state.
Abbott and Cornyn have raised allegations of bribery, since the lawmakers’ quorum break is being funded by donations from various groups, including former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s PAC and other Democratic groups.
“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,” Cornyn said. “We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities.”
Alan He
contributed to this report.
Caroline Linton is an associate managing editor on the political team for CBSNews.com. She has previously written for The Daily Beast, Newsweek and amNewYork.
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