Texas Senator Says Trump’s FBI Agreed to Help Track Down and Return Runaway Democrats

Mediaite ^ | August 7,2025 | Alex Griffing

[Miami Rebel]

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Texas’s senior senator up for reelection in 2026, announced on Thursday that FBI Director Kash Patel agreed to his request for federal agents to help Texas law enforcement track down and return runaway Democratic lawmakers.

Cornyn wrote a letter on Tuesday urging Patel to help return some 50 state lawmakers who fled the state to try and delay a state House vote on a new congressional map. Democrats are trying to delay the vote by not allowing the GOP-controlled body to have a quorum — a minimum number of members present in order to conduct official business.

Cornyn’s request came a day after the Texas House of Representatives voted to compel the lawmakers to return to the body in order to vote on the highly controversial redistricting effort to try and net the national Republican Party 5 more seats in Congress. Cornyn’s letter accused the absent Democrats of possible criminal acts, without citing any evidence, saying “they may be guilty of bribery or other public corruption offenses.”

The state House officially empowered Texas state troopers and the House’s sergeant-at-arms to track down the members and arrest them, but they would not face any kind of charges under the order. The Texas arrest warrants are also only valid inside Texas’s border – making them purely symbolic and the FBI’s role in enforcing them unclear.

“I am proud to announce that Director Kash Patel has approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats,” Cornyn said in a statement. “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.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) hit back at the idea of federal agents coming into his state to detain the Democratic lawmakers who fled there. Pritzker told Jessica Yellin on her News Not Noise podcast on Wednesday, saying, “The fact is that you know our local law enforcement protect everybody in Illinois. Our state troopers protect everybody in Illinois and anybody who’s here in Illinois.” He added that “if you haven’t broken federal law” and are in his state, “there’s no way” you can be arrested by the FBI.

INBOX: Sen. @JohnCornyn says the FBI has granted his request for federal authorities to assist Texas law enforcement in locating Texas House Democrats who fled the state over the Republican redistricting plan. pic.twitter.com/Fv32rKXkBj

— Reena Jade Diamante (@reenajade) August 7, 2025

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TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: cornhole; democrats; patel; texas

[higgmeister]

This is a story with many twists and turns. Ultimately the Democrats will lose, I think, but I cannot fathom how this is a federal matter. Beyond that, it's not like the legislators are in hiding. I think Cornyn's announcement is just to prop up his chances against Paxton.

Here is the deal.

Cornyn’s letter accused the absent Democrats of possible criminal acts, without citing any evidence, saying “they may be guilty of bribery or other public corruption offenses.”

The cost of the chartered aircraft and the hotel stay was paid by a contributor which constitutes a bribe.   Then whoever it is acting behind the scenes would constitute public corruption felonies which the FBI would be interested in.

I'll never forget that my Congressman Pat Swindall went to prison after a sting operation.

But in 1987, in an effort to finance his new $1.2 million home in Stone Mountain, Swindall accepted a $150,000 check from Charles LeChasney, who was later accused of laundering drug money. Swindall returned the check several days later.

Even so, he was later indicted on a charge of lying about the exchange before a federal grand jury. The prosecutor was Bob Barr, a fellow Republican who himself would be elected to Congress several years later.

The Feds like to get involved with this sort of thing.   In that case it was the Democrats that were behind it.   But hey, turnabout is fair play.

[Reily]

I think it’s already a crime under Texas law.

[Miami Rebel]

Here’s a shockeroo:

John Cornyn is a politician who made a claim based on his feelings and not the law. No prosecutor in the whole state of Texas has made these allegations in court.

[Miami Rebel]

What law?

[bigbob]

Take Prickster too, aiding and abetting

[Miami Rebel]

Aiding and abetting what? What’s the underlying crime?

[higgmeister]

Are they expected to vote to approve the redistricting?

All they have to do is show up and be counted.   The reason they fled was to keep the Republicans from approving the redistricting.

[for-q-clinton]

Oh so you don’t understand the analogy. Got it.

[Political Junkie Too]

The current issue has nothing to do with interstate commerce.

That depends on what items the legislature adds to the session. The Democrats fled over redistricting, but there were other items on the agenda, too, like flood alerts.

Article IV Section 4 protects against invasion or domestic violence. Yet again, irrelevant.

I meant section 1, which was clear from my comments.

-PJ

[Miami Rebel]

Speaking of misunderstanding an analogy, I don’t think you understand the meaning of “analogy.”

[Mr. K]

They bring them back because they need a quorum

[Mark]

IMPORTANT question: Do the public voters approve of this?

[Miami Rebel]

18 U.S. Code § 1951

Whoever in any way or degree obstructs, delays, or affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce, by robbery or extortion or attempts or conspires so to do, or commits or threatens physical violence to any person or property in furtherance of a plan or purpose to do anything in violation of this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.

Please, I sincerely want to know how you can twist the flight from Texas into interference in commerce.

Section 1

Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Knock yourself out and explain to me the constitutionally enumerated federal interest in compelling state legislators to make a quorum.

[Clay Moore]

Another example of John Wayne McCornyn having to play like he’s a conservative because he’s scared he’s going to get primaried. Maybe if he’d put on his cowboy hat and boots and ride around on a four wheeler we’d all be more impressed.

[for-q-clinton]

Ah I get it, you’re low IQ or being purposefully obtuse.

[Miami Rebel]

Approve of what?

And in a representative democracy, i.e., a republic, voters exercise their rights at the polls and NOT between elections.

[Miami Rebel]

Silence is more becoming to you.

[popdonnelly]

If they’re not committing a crime, why waste FBI resources. Smells like using law enforcement for political purposes.

[Mark]

OKAY! NOW how about a simple SURVEY?

[for-q-clinton]

Yes. I’m sure for the low IQ crowd keeping those speaking facts and making intelligent points is not really welcomed and would rather the smart people just stay quiet.

BTW: so why is my analogy wrong? Where does it say the States MUST help enforce immigration law? So without that, by your logic, it can’t and shouldn’t be done.