Gov. Greg Abbott has filed a lawsuit with the Texas Supreme Court seeking to remove State Rep. Gene Wu—the Texas House Democrat Caucus Chair—from office, accusing him of leading the ongoing quorum break and abandoning his constitutional duties.
The emergency petition, filed Tuesday, marks the most aggressive legal action yet in response to House Democrats fleeing the state to block a Republican redistricting plan. Abbott called Wu the “ringleader of the derelict Democrats” and cited both abandonment of office and possible bribery as grounds for removal.
“I made clear in a formal statement on Sunday, August 3, that if the Texas House Democrats were not in attendance when the House reconvened at 3:00 PM on Monday, August 4, then action would be taken to seek their removal,” said Abbott in a press release. “They have not returned and have not met the quorum requirements.”
According to the lawsuit, Wu and his fellow Democrats have engaged in a “willful refusal to return,” depriving the House of the quorum needed to conduct legislative business. The suit further alleges that Wu and others may have solicited and received benefits in exchange for their absence—potentially violating state bribery laws.
The move follows a string of escalating actions by state leadership. Abbott has already ordered the Department of Public Safety to arrest absent Democrats who remain in Texas, and Attorney General Ken Paxton announced earlier today he will pursue judicial orders declaring lawmakers’ seats vacant if they do not return by Friday.
If the Texas Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, it could set a precedent for whether lawmakers can be forcibly removed from office for breaking quorum.
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