Texas state Rep. Jessica Gonzalez is refusing to say whether she is in Europe on a vacation with fellow state Rep. Julie Johnson and their partners.
Gonzalez and Johnson were two of the Texas Democrats who fled their state in mid-July and planned to stay until Aug. 7, intending to disrupt quorum and block the passage of Gov. Greg Abbott’s election reform bill.
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“I don’t respond to rumors,” Gonzalez told the San Antonio Express-News when questioned whether she was on a vacation abroad. “No one has shown proof. These are rumors, period. End of story.”
The alleged international trip was first reported by Texas Monthly writer John Tilove, who said Gonzalez and Johnson hopped aboard a flight for a Portuguese vacation they had been planning with their romantic partners that was nonrefundable. The women were allegedly participating in the caucus meetings through Zoom calls.
Hi. Covering the TXDEMS in DC for @TexasMonthly. Can confirm @juliejohnsonTX and her wife & @jessicafortexas and her fiancé are in Portugal for a vacation they had been planning, with non-refundable tickets, for a year-and-a-half. Still participating in caucus meetings via ZOOM.
— jonathantilove (@JTiloveTX) August 3, 2021
Neither Gonzalez nor Johnson has conclusively denied claims that they are on vacation abroad, and neither has appeared in public since the allegations.
Texas Democrats fled the state on July 12 and began campaign for voting rights in Washington, D.C.
While in Washington, D.C., the group has met with Vice President Kamala Harris and other major figures in the Democratic Party, seeking federal election reform laws. These efforts have been overshadowed by an unexpected outbreak of COVID-19 among the Texas politicians, many of whom were photographed maskless in transit to the nation’s capitol.
Texas Republican Rep. Jared Patterson slammed the pair Wednesday in a series of tweets, writing, “Texas Democrats shut down a special session devoted to helping foster kids, retired teachers and property taxpayers and to secure our border and elections. Now, they’ve charged taxpayers about $1M while on vacation in DC and Europe.”
The Democrats have maintained that their travel and living costs are not being paid with taxpayer money. A transfer from the House Democratic Caucus paid for the flights to Washington, D.C. One House member charged a group of hotel rooms to a personal American Express card. The Dallas County Democratic Party issued appeals for donations to support the renegade politicians, asking for toiletries, snacks, and other items.
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Abbott has repeatedly claimed that the politicians will be arrested and forced to vote upon reentry into the state. So far, one person, Rep. Philip Cortez, has had a warrant issued for his arrest after attempting to return to the state. Cortez swiftly returned to Washington, D.C., with his colleagues.
Neither Gonzalez nor Johnson’s offices responded immediately to the Washington Examiner’s requests for comment.
