Mystery Texas transgender mailers linked to printing firm owned by major Trump donor

A batch of mailers sent to Texas households ahead of the November midterm elections may be connected to an Illinois printing company whose owner and his son have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump-aligned groups and Republican committees, CBS News reports.

The flyers, which appeared to come from a transgender advocacy organization, have been linked to Three Z Printing, an Illinois company. U.S. Postal Service records show the company holds the bulk-mail permit used to send the flyers to more than 1 million Texas addresses.

According to the United States Postal Service, the company — dubbed Three Z Printing — holds the bulk-mail permit used to distribute the flyers to more than 1 million Texas addresses. The business is owned by Bill Zerrusen, whose son Matthew Zerrusen lives in Flower Mound, near Dallas. The family has donated more than $700,000 to Trump-aligned organizations and Republican committees over the years, Federal Election Commission records show.

Those contributions include $125,000 from Bill Zerrusen to the Trump 47 Committee in 2024 and $70,000 from Matthew Zerrusen to the same organization. However, there is no public evidence establishing that the family personally authorized or financed the mailers, and Three Z Printing did not immediately respond to the Express-News' request for comment on the matter.

The flyers began appearing in Texas mailboxes as early voting got underway, presenting themselves as informational materials from the purported Texas Transgender Student Union. But there's a catch: The organization appears to be nonexistent, according to a CBS News probe.

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New findings have linked the controversial flyers to an Illinois printing company, whose owners have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump and Republican political groups.

Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News

Investigators previously traced the name to a recently established Wyoming limited liability company. Meanwhile, the mailers directed recipients toward resources associated with the Transgender Education Network of Texas, or TENT, without the organization's permission.

One particularly controversial passage encouraged young recipients to consider emancipating themselves from their parents and contacting a "safe" adult. TENT has denied supporting that message and is pursuing legal action to identify those responsible.

In a petition filed with in Travis County seeking to identify the sender, TENT alleges the unidentified party "co-opted TENT’s name, materials (including photographs), branding and website without TENT’s knowledge or consent, violating state law."

The fallout has reportedly extended beyond political controversy, as critics maintain the mailers were intended to spark outrage directed toward the transgender community. Additionally, TENT says the mailers have endangered its leadership and threatened the organization’s future.

“The damage to TENT has been immediate and severe, threatening the safety of TENT’s leadership and the very existence of its organization,” the lawsuit says. “TENT has met an onslaught of hate and violent threats through its social media and email channels, and that volume has only grown since the Mailer began arriving in voters’ homes shortly after the messages hit voters’ phones."

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Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News

The organization also names a Croatian IT company called Infobip in its lawsuit, which claims the company sent the texts to Texans on behalf of a client. However, the company refused to name who its client was, according to the petition.

TENT is asking the court for a temporary restraining order against Infobip and Texas Transgender Student Union LLC, and will likely seek to recover damages if the parties responsible for the unauthorized use of its name and materials are identified.

A separate CBS News Texas investigation identified a Maryland-based tracking company, SnailWorks, through postal barcodes. TENT also sent a cease-and-desist letter to SnailWorks on Thursday, The Advocate reported, though the company denied producing or distributing the materials.

As of Tuesday, both Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton's campaign and Democratic opponent James Talarico's campaign have denied involvement.

“Meanwhile, the mailers directed recipients toward resources associated with the Transgender Education Network of Texas, or TENT, without the organization’s permission.”

It’s quite likely that whoever produced the mailer wanted to raise the profile of “transgender” issues in the election. Dirty trick to hurt Talarico? Maybe, but it only works if Talarico is ALREADY perceived as a pro-trans candidate — the mailer does not mention Talarico or the Senate race.

The TENT group’s complaint seems weak. Doesn’t “TENT” want people with transgender problems to contact them? TENT likely prefers to operate under the radar screen of “normal” Texans, leaving them unaware of the group and what it does. Sorry, but how to address gender dysphoria is a political policy issue, and a proper topic in a Senate election.

2009 - DEMOCRAT Barack Obama School Czar Kevin Jennings

AI Overview:

Kevin Jennings wrote a foreword for the 1999 book Queering Elementary Education: Advancing the Dialogue about Sexualities and Schooling

Kevin Jennings was defended and kept in his position by the Obama administration rather than being removed

Key Facts:

• The Book:

Queering Elementary Education is a 1999 academic/essay collection exploring how elementary school classrooms can address LGBTQ+ themes, challenge categorical thinking, and reduce anti-gay bias.

Kevin Jennings contributed a foreword to the book.

• The Controversy:

In October 2009, 53 House Republicans signed a letter calling for Jennings to be fired or removed from his administration role. Critics and conservative groups (such as Media Matters reports on the backlash) pointed to his foreword in Queering Elementary Education and his past work founding GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) as evidence of pushing an agenda in schools.

• Kevin Jennings’s Background:

Kevin Jennings is an educator, author, and LGBTQ+ Advocate WHO FOUNDED GLSEN in 1990 and later served as the CEO of Lambda Legal. His actual published books include titles like Mama’s Boy, Preacher’s Son: A Memoir and Telling Tales Out of School.

• The Controversy (2009):

Conservative groups, including the Family Research Council and several Republican lawmakers (led by Rep. Steve King and 53 House Republicans), called for his ouster.

Critics pointed to his past writing—such as a 1989 account in his book One Teacher in Ten where a 15-year-old student confided in him about a sexual relationship with an older man, and Jennings asked if he used a condom rather than reporting it to authorities—as well as his founding of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).

• White House and Department Support for Kevin Jennings:

Education Secretary Arne Duncan and the Obama administration defended Kevin Jennings, stating he was uniquely qualified and that his career had been dedicated to promoting student safety and anti-bullying programs.

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