(Texas Scorecard) – A Republican lawmaker’s attempt to imprison the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas for urging Republican House members to support the Republican nominee for speaker has reportedly been thrown out by the Texas Ethics Commission.
State Rep. Cody Harris (R–Palestine) filed the complaint against Abraham George, which generated significant backlash within the Republican Party, with many viewing it as an attempt to silence party leadership for urging unity around a Republican candidate.
The Texas GOP responded by calling the complaint “baseless,” a sentiment echoed by many grassroots conservatives. The party argued that supporting a Republican nominee is a fundamental aspect of advancing the party’s platform and principles.
“The delegates of the 2024 Texas Republican Convention elected me to represent them, which means bringing truth to the establishment power that impeached our duly elected attorney general last legislative session,” Abraham said after the complaint was filed. “The delegates adopted our rules and legislative priorities, and I will continue to serve as a strong advocate for our party and our rule of law.”
According to a report by the left-wing Texas Tribune, the TEC dismissed the complaint because it lacked jurisdiction to issue an opinion on the matter. Speaking to the Tribune, Harris expressed frustration with the decision, saying, “I think they chose the politically expedient way out.”
As of Wednesday morning, George told Texas Scorecard that he had not received any communication or documentation from the TEC regarding the dismissal. The TEC has declined to comment on the case, maintaining its standard practice of not discussing individual complaints.
The controversy began when Harris filed the complaint ahead of a contentious speaker race in the Texas House. George, in his capacity as party chairman, had publicly urged Republican lawmakers to back the party’s nominee for Speaker, David Cook (R–Mansfield), rather than considering alternative candidates. Harris’s complaint alleged that George’s actions violated state ethics rules, a claim the Texas GOP vigorously disputed.
Harris was among a minority of Republicans that joined with Democrats to thwart the Republican nominee and, instead, install State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R–Lubbock) as speaker of the House last week.