The Texas Supreme Court on Friday halted proceedings that could have offered insight into an election-season campaign referencing gender-affirming care for minors, which has roiled voters in the weeks before Election Day, as more questions arise as to the messages’ origins.
Earlier this month, Texas voters received text messages and mailers advertising gender-affirming care for minors and instructions on how to seek legal emancipation from unsupportive parents. The messaging identified a Texas LGBTQ+ student union as the sender.
But in a deposition given Thursday, the messaging company Infobip stated that the text messages were commissioned by the “Republican Women’s Caucus Fund” — which denied it was involved — and an individual named John Braun. The Texas Observer was the first to report the group’s alleged ties to the mailers.
The Transgender Education Network of Texas — the nonprofit that is repeatedly referenced on the pamphlets — petitioned a Travis County judge to make the true source public. The trans rights organization said that it was not involved in the pamphlets’ creation and that it has received threats as a result of the campaign.
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A judge in Texas, Jan Soifer, ruled Wednesday that the organization has suffered injuries such as harassment and a diversion of resources as a result of being named in the mailers.
According to the Texas district court docket, TENT appealed the case Tuesday, and asked Soifer to remove a confidential information designation from Infobip’s answers during the deposition on Thursday, which she granted that day.
The state Supreme Court on Friday paused a deposition scheduled for later that morning that would have revealed more information about who sent out the pamphlets and text messages. The court issued a deadline of Monday for initial responses, noting in its order that TENT’s motion for relief is still pending.
No court documents were available online at the district, appeals or state Supreme Court levels as of Friday afternoon.
The pamphlets claimed to have been sent by the Texas Transgender Student Union — a group that was registered as a limited liability company in Wyoming one month ago, an Observer investigation found.
A Republican Women’s Caucus Fund spokesperson denied being involved.
“We did not authorize, fund, direct, coordinate, or participate in these activities in any capacity,” the spokesperson told The Texas Tribune on Thursday. “We categorically reject these false allegations and are pursuing all available legal remedies to protect our organization and hold those responsible accountable.”
Vice President JD Vance was asked about the campaign during a town hall in Weatherford, Texas, on Thursday. One woman described finding a pamphlet in her mail addressed to her young daughter that offered detailed instructions on how to transition genders.
The person who sent the letter is “a pervert,” Vance told the woman, and “ought to go to prison.”
“Talk to our staff because I’d like the Department of Justice to investigate that,” he said.
The campaign has caused outrage across the state. In letters sent to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Oct. 13 and Oct. 21, Republican state Rep. Jeff Leach requested the state government open an investigation into the mailers’ origin.
Sarah Stogner, the district attorney for several West Texas counties, launched a criminal investigation into the materials. Stogner, a Republican, told The Washington Sun that she didn’t “want to speculate” about the campaign, but told the Tribune that mailers were probably sent in an effort to upset voters just before Election Day.
Paxton, the Republican Senate nominee, has repeatedly targeted Democratic nominee James Talarico for his pro-transgender comments throughout the race.
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