Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) claimed the FBI would help track down and possibly arrest Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas to block a Republican-backed redistricting bill. But legal experts and federal sources say that’s simply not true.
In a post on X, Cornyn wrote, “FBI Director Kash Patel… has responded to my request to assist state & local law enforcement locate the runaway Texas House Democrats and investigate potential offenses. Thank you Director Patel for your swift response & action!”
But according to MSNBC’s Ken Dilanian, the FBI has not confirmed any such action — and likely can’t take any.
“Well, the FBI has not responded to our inquiries asking that very question,” Dilanian told host Ana Cabrera. “We need to greet Cornyn’s announcement with a bit of skepticism, given that he is in the most difficult primary battle of his career and is trying to appeal to far-right Republicans in Texas.”
Dilanian said he spoke with multiple former and current officials from the FBI and Justice Department. Their verdict was unanimous: there is no legal basis for the FBI to get involved.
“There is no grounds whatsoever, no legal authority for the FBI to assist local authorities in locating, for example, Texas legislators, most of whom are believed to be in Illinois,” he said. “They would need a crime to have been committed, a federal crime, to have some kind of nexus to use their formidable surveillance powers.”
He added, “If the FBI is doing anything, it’s very troubling because it suggests that the FBI… has become kind of a Republican Praetorian Guard here. Again, no jurisdiction, no legal nexus, no federal crime committed.”
Without a federal offense, the FBI has no power to act. Leaving a state to block legislation — while politically dramatic — is not a crime.
The FBI has yet to publicly confirm any involvement.
Watch the clip below from MSNBC:
