A recent text message campaign that drew significant criticism across Texas has been linked to a national Republican caucus fund, as revealed by a deposition from Infobip, the messaging company responsible for sending the texts. The messages were reportedly sent by the “Republican Women Caucus Fund” and an individual named John Braun, although no additional details about Braun were disclosed in the deposition.
A representative for the Republican Women’s Caucus Fund issued a statement asserting that the organization had “absolutely no involvement” in the distribution of the texts or similar mailers that were delivered to homes in Texas. The spokesperson emphasized, “We did not authorize, fund, direct, coordinate, or participate in these activities in any capacity.” They also stated their intent to pursue legal action to defend the organization and hold those accountable for the allegations.
The deposition was provided to the public by the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), which successfully petitioned a Travis County judge to make Infobip’s client information available. The text messages sent out linked to resources on TENT’s website and promoted guides regarding “bathrooms and beyond for trans kids at school,” along with information about gender-affirming care in Texas. TENT reported that the campaign triggered immediate backlash, including threats of violence against the organization.
In the days following the text messages, mailers from the Texas Transgender Student Union began arriving in households statewide, directed to the “students” residing there. Similar to the texts, these mailers made repeated references to TENT, despite the absence of any connection to the sending group. Business records indicate that the Texas Transgender Student Union was registered in Wyoming earlier this September.
TENT has sought a court order from District Judge Jan Soifer in Travis County to facilitate depositions that would disclose the identities of those responsible for the texts and mailers. The organization expressed concern that the timing of these communications, coinciding with early voting for the midterm elections, was intended to provoke voters and damage TENT’s reputation.
Judge Soifer’s ruling came amid legal opposition from the Wyoming group’s attorney, Chris Hilton, who previously served as a lawyer for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and participated in his defense during the 2023 impeachment trial. There remains uncertainty regarding whether the Caucus Fund and Braun were involved in the mailers, as Infobip stated it had no knowledge of a business relationship with the Wyoming group.
TENT is not the only entity seeking clarity on the origins of the mailers and texts. State Representative Jeff Leach, R-Plano, has requested an investigation from Paxton’s office regarding the sources of these materials in two separate letters sent after the texts and mailers circulated throughout Texas.
Additionally, West Texas District Attorney Sarah Stogner has initiated a criminal investigation into the mailers for potential forgery, expressing concern that they were distributed to influence the ongoing election.
