Texas Senate Committee Votes to Subpoena DOJ Official

Senate Select Committee Considers Subpoenaing DOJ Official Over Redistricting Dispute

The nine-member Senate select committee on redistricting is set to vote on Wednesday whether to issue a subpoena to an assistant attorney general for testimony. This move comes after the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a letter that has been cited as a key reason for Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to place redistricting on the agenda for a special legislative session.

The letter, sent on July 7 and addressed to both Governor Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, expressed “serious concerns regarding the legality of four of Texas’s congressional districts.” These four districts are currently represented by minority members of Congress, raising questions about potential racial gerrymandering.

Concerns Raised by the DOJ Letter

Harmeet K. Dhillon, the author of the letter, is now under scrutiny from Texas Democrats. They are urging her to testify publicly about the DOJ’s reasoning for claiming that these districts were racially gerrymandered. Meanwhile, Texas Republicans have maintained that the current congressional maps were created without regard to race.

State Sen. Carol Alvarado, a Democrat from Houston, emphasized the importance of Dhillon being able to defend the DOJ’s position during public testimony. Alongside fellow Democratic state senators Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and Borris Miles, Alvarado is advocating for Dhillon to be subpoenaed.

A report by NBC 5 in Dallas revealed that Paxton’s office responded to the DOJ letter, disagreeing with its interpretation of the congressional maps. Nexstar reached out to the state’s Attorney General office for more details, and a spokesperson provided a statement from Paxton. The statement expressed full support for Governor Abbott’s call for a special session to conduct congressional redistricting, citing recent changes in the legal and political landscape.

Paxton also stated that his office is prepared to support President Trump, Governor Abbott, and the Texas Legislature in their redistricting goals, and will defend any new maps against challenges from the “radical Left.”

Reactions from Legislative Leaders

Before public testimony began on Tuesday, Senate committee chair Phil King, a Republican from Weatherford, stated that he does not agree with the DOJ’s interpretation of Texas’ map. He said, “I don’t think the map that is in place for Congress today is discriminatory. I don’t agree with the DOJ letter, but I haven’t seen their underlying facts to it.”

King sent a formal invitation over the weekend to Dhillon to testify. Similarly, House committee chair Cody Vasut, a Republican from Angleton, extended another formal invitation to Dhillon to appear before his chamber’s committee. Before the Senate committee started hearing testimony on Tuesday, King mentioned that his team was preparing a space in the Capitol for a formal meeting on Wednesday to vote on whether to subpoena Dhillon.

Alvarado is pushing for the hearing to be livestreamed and recorded for public access. She stressed the importance of transparency, especially given the unusual nature of the situation. “Considering its rarity, unusualness, and unprecedented situation, we need to be as transparent as possible,” she said.

Challenges and Uncertainty

To issue a subpoena, two-thirds of the committee must vote in favor. With only three Democratic members on the Senate committee, it remains unclear how the six Republican senators will vote. Alvarado expressed hope that her colleagues would support the subpoena, saying, “I would think that they want to know why they’re here in the middle of the summer as well in mid-decade doing redistricting.”

Meanwhile, King’s office is seeking legal counsel to determine if the legislative committee has the authority to compel a federal official or someone outside Texas to testify. Despite this uncertainty, Alvarado believes the committee should still proceed with the subpoena, allowing Dhillon or any other DOJ official to choose whether to testify.

Currently, no new map is under consideration in either redistricting committee. The outcome of the upcoming vote could significantly impact the direction of Texas’ redistricting process.