Former Attorney General Eric Holder said Sunday the FBI does not have jurisdiction to return Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled their state.<\/p>\n
\u201cTexas lawmakers are digging in. You heard Gov. [Greg] Abbott there talking about the FBI, Sen. [John] Cornyn calling the FBI to help locate those Democratic lawmakers who fled the state. I wonder, do you think that the FBI has jurisdiction to intervene here and try to bring back those Democrats who are in other states?\u201d NBC News\u2019s Kristen Welker asked on \u201cMeet the Press.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShort answer: No. I mean, you’re asking the FBI to get involved, to find these legislators who are in the process of trying to defend democracy in Texas,\u201d Holder responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they’re not hard to find, but the question after that is, \u2018Well, what’s the federal jurisdiction? What federal statute has potentially been violated? What’s the basis for any federal government interaction?\u2019 And I would say that there is none,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Texas Democratic state House members left the Lone Star State last weekend amid a redistricting battle between themselves and Texas Republicans. The move resulted in outcry from members of the state\u2019s GOP, who have been trying to move ahead with a controversial redistricting plan that could cost Democrats seats in Congress.<\/p>\n
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Thursday that FBI Director Kash Patel approved a request to assist state<\/a> and local law enforcement in finding the absconded Texas Democrats.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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,\u201d Cornyn said in a statement Thursday morning.<\/p>\n Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) also said Thursday that the FBI<\/a> was \u201ctracking down\u201d the Democratic lawmakers.<\/p>\n \u201cTexas DPS and the FBI are tracking down the derelict Democrats. They will be taken directly to the Texas Capitol,\u201d Abbott wrote on the social platform X. <\/p>\n