Attorney General Ken Paxton Continues to Urge the Supreme Court of Texas to Declare Rogue Democrats’ Seats Vacant for Abandoning Office

AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton filed his merits brief before the Supreme Court of Texas, presenting the legal grounds for declaring vacant the seats of the Democrat legislators who abandoned their duties and fled the state to break quorum.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Paxton filed a petition for writs of quo warranto seeking a judicial declaration that certain House members forfeited their offices by openly refusing to perform their constitutional responsibilities. In response, the Texas Supreme Court set an expedited briefing schedule. Today, Attorney General Paxton filed his merits briefing outlining the legal basis for declaring vacant the seats of 13 Texas House members who forfeited their roles as elected officials by abandoning Texas.

“Just because some of the runaway Democrats returned to Texas does not mean they get to escape the consequences of abandoning Texas and abdicating their responsibilities,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Crossing back over state lines does not erase weeks of silencing their own districts and forfeiting their offices. These Democrats chose to put political theater above their constituents’ voices. If you deliberately, openly, and blatantly refuse to show up to work for weeks on end, you lose your job.”

This lawsuit focuses on 13 Democrat members who made public, incriminating statements confirming their refusal to return to the House chamber in order to unlawfully derail the business of the Legislature. These statements, by their own admission, openly show forfeiture of their offices.  Under the schedule set by the Court, the 13 House Democrats have until August 29 to file their responses. The Attorney General’s Office will continue to vigorously pursue this case to restore the rule of law and uphold the functioning of representative government in Texas.

To read the filing, click here.

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