Authorities investigating ‘credible threat’ against Texas lawmakers who voted for abortion ban

Texas authorities on Tuesday warned state lawmakers about “a credible threat” to their safety, saying that the threat was directed at members of the Texas Legislature who voted in favor of the state’s controversial abortion ban.

Kevin Cooper, the Department of Public Safety’s chief of government relations, sent an email to lawmakers detailing that the agency received a “CREDIBLE THREAT TO YOUR SAFETY from the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a majority of you in the Texas Legislature,” according to the Texas Tribune.

Cooper later sent a follow-up email that stated that the threat was specifically targeting “members who may have voted for” the abortion bill, the news outlet noted.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed the controversial legislation, which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, in May. The law went into effect on Sept. 1.

The threat to lawmakers over the bill was reportedly made on Reddit and listed the names of every Texas House and Senate member who voted for the legislation. The Reddit user wrote that they would “end each one of you,” adding that the lawmakers “are not people to me.”

Texans, citizens and other lawmakers across the nation have criticized the bill in recent weeks. The Justice Department earlier this month filed a lawsuit against Texas over the measure, arguing that it threatens the Constitution.

“The act is clearly unconstitutional under longstanding Supreme Court precedent,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said at the time. “This kind of scheme to nullify the Constitution of the United States is one that all Americans, whatever their politics or party, should fear.” 

As of Wednesday, it was unclear whether the threat against lawmakers signaled that they are in imminent danger, the Tribune reported.

The Texas Department of Public Safety told the news outlet that it “takes all matters of personal security and public safety very seriously and we do not discuss details of ongoing threats and investigations.”