John Bogna
Texas lawmaker Blake Farenthold recently announced he will not be seeking reelection after numerous sexual-related allegations surfaced.
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According to the Houston Chronicle, his decision became centered around a filing deadline, which reports claim complicated the matter somewhat:
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Texas’ election code provides a candidate can remove their name from the running up until a day after the filing deadline; Farenthold reportedly announced his decision not to run three days after, prompting the GOP to ask a judge to keep his name off the ballot.
Texas Democrats said they disagreed with efforts to remove Farenthold’s name from the ballots and motioned to file a temporary restraining order barring the GOP from doing so.
“Texas Democrats will not stand idle while Republicans rig the ballot. Only voters have the power to choose who leads our state and nation, not politicians and party officers in backroom decisions. Last we checked, this was Texas – not Russia,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in an interview.
Despite their efforts, the judge denied the motion, and the Democratic party dropped the lawsuit after.
The House Ethics Committee recently reopened an investigation into Farenthold’s behavior, specifically a sexual harassment lawsuit against the Texas Rep. in 2015 by former press secretary Lauren Green.
Records show the soon-to-be-former Congressman settled suit with Green for $84,000 in taxpayer money.
He reportedly since agreed to personally repay the amount, as others come forward with further allegations.
According to CBS, his name will not be on the ballot for the upcoming elections.
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