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GOP governor lays out plan to ‘purge’ terrorists and terror supporters from state

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GOP governor lays out plan to ‘purge’ terrorists and terror supporters from state

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After designating two prominent Islamic groups “foreign terrorist organizations,” Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott gave insight into his plan to “purge” both terrorists and terror supporters from his state.

Abbott, who is a close ally of President Donald Trump and is running for a fourth term as governor, recently issued a proclamation designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as “foreign terrorist organizations” and “transnational criminal organizations” under Texas law.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Abbott explained that the designation means that CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood and their affiliates are prohibited from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas. The proclamation also authorizes state agencies to take heightened enforcement measures and legal action against the two organizations.

In response, two Texas CAIR chapters filed a federal lawsuit against Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, arguing that the proclamation violates the U.S. Constitution by exceeding state authority and infringing on due process rights.

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TEXAS GOV ABBOTT DECLARES CAIR, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AS TERRORIST GROUPS, PREVENTING LAND PURCHASES

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. (Getty Images)

Abbott, however, appeared undaunted.

He said that the “very important point” of his actions is to show that “when we as a state or we as a country step up and show there are legal consequences for you trying to violate religious freedom, when you try to impose your religion on somebody else, or whether you may be supporting some type of terror group, that there’s going to be consequences to it, that you will be brought into a court of law and be held accountable.”

“Any organization that supports terrorism, that harbors people who have provided material support for terrorism, is not allowed to exist in our state,” said Abbott, adding, “We will purge them from our state, they should be purged from our country, and they definitely should not be receiving tax-exempt status in our country.”

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Shortly after Abbott’s proclamation, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order similarly designating CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. The order bars the groups from receiving state contracts, funding, employment, or benefits, and prohibits state agencies from working with them or entities deemed to support them.

Additionally, Trump signed an executive order initiating the federal process for several Muslim Brotherhood chapters to be designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

On Dec. 2, Abbott sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent requesting the suspension of CAIR’s tax-exempt status.

MUSLIM GROUPS, OTHER LEADERS DEMAND ABBOTT RESCIND CAIR’S ‘TERRORIST’ DESIGNATION: ‘DEFAMATORY’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has also designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations.  (Rebecca Blackwell, File/AP Photo)

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Though CAIR has pushed back, calling Abbott’s claims false, the governor said, “If they don’t want to be labeled a terrorist, they have to stop supporting terrorism. It’s that simple.”

He said that both the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have a “long, well-established history with terrorism.” He pointed to CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, reportedly speaking highly of the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel and the Dallas-Fort Worth CAIR chapter advocating on behalf of Marwan Marouf, a Jordanian national set to be deported by ICE after allegedly making donations to a charity known to funnel money to Hamas.  

“There’s a massive difference between religion and terrorism,” said Abbott. “It doesn’t matter what religious belief you may believe in or adhere to, if you support terrorism in any way, that is a crime, it has to be rooted out, has to eliminated, I don’t care who you are or what religion you’re a part of.”

In response, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy director of CAIR, shot back at Abbott. In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, Mitchell said that “Governor Abbott is an Israel First politician who has spent years trying to smear and silence Texans who oppose the waste of American taxpayer dollars on the Israeli government’s war crimes.”

Mitchell said that “CAIR is an independent American civil rights organization that has spent 31 years speaking up against all forms of unjust violence, including hate crimes, terrorism, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and genocide.”

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“In fact, CAIR condemned terrorism so often that ISIS called for the assassination of our leadership,” said Mitchell.

TRUMP MOVES AGAINST MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AS ISLAMIST GROUP SPREADS IN WEST

Supporters of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood take part in a protest in the village of Sweimeh, near the Jordanian border with the occupied West Bank, on May 21, 2021. (Khalil Mazraawi/AFP via Getty Images)

“CAIR has strongly condemned the Israeli government’s decades of violent oppression against the Palestinian people, and CAIR has also condemned Hamas violence against Israeli civilians, from suicide bombings in the 1990s to attacks on Oct. 7th. That’s called moral consistency, something Greg Abbott and other supporters of the Gaza genocide know nothing about,” he went on, adding, “Abbott is upset with CAIR because our civil rights group filed the lawsuits that defeated his last three attempts to shred the First Amendment for the benefit of the Israeli government.”

“We are suing Governor Abbott again now to block his lawless proclamation and we look forward to defeating him for the fourth time in a row, God willing, so that we can protect the constitutional rights of all Americans,” he said.

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The Muslim Brotherhood did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the time of publication.

On what other actions he will take next to crack down on terrorism in Texas, Abbott hinted there will be more coming from the Lone Star State on his border enforcement strategies.

“During my next term as governor, Trump will no longer be president. So, while he’s working for the next three years to secure the border, we’re going to be in the process of working for the next three decades to ensure that we have a secure border,” he explained.

COTTON CALLS ON IRS TO PULL MUSLIM ADVOCACY GROUP’S NONPROFIT STATUS

Texas law enforcement patrols the border between the U.S. and Mexico. (Fox News)

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“In the next session, we’re going to be going back to the drawing board and finding out what works, what needs to be augmented, what we must do to continue the safe and secure border practices we have now, knowing this also that must be underscored.

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“Look at all the people who in the United States are killing others, committing crimes to others, who are here illegally,” he said. “The shooter at Brown, the murderer of the people at Brown University as well as at MIT, was here on a green card, unvetted. The shooter of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., here illegally, unvetted, was an Afghan. And then, an example here in Houston, Texas, just recently, there was an illegal immigrant who was arrested for murder. It turned out he had committed multiple murders in the Houston area, completely unvetted.”

“We as a country, and Texas as a state, we have to be much more demanding as it concerns who is entering our country. Are they safe for our country? Should they be allowed in? Americans deserve that brand of safety.”

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Ted Cruz endorses Texas state Rep Steve Toth in GOP primary challenge to Dan Crenshaw

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Ted Cruz endorses Texas state Rep Steve Toth in GOP primary challenge to Dan Crenshaw

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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has endorsed Texas state Rep. Steve Toth, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw in the Lone Star State’s 2nd Congressional District Republican primary.

“I am proud to endorse @SteveTothTX for Congress in Texas’s 2nd Congressional District. Steve faithfully served the people of Texas in the Texas House of Representatives, championing our Texas values of liberty, limited government, and constitutional governance,” Cruz said in a post on X.

“Steve is an unwavering fighter for school choice, fiscal responsibility, and the next generation of Americans. Washington needs bold leadership and representatives who will stand up for Texans at every turn,” Cruz continued.

Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw speaks during a showcase hosted by TerraFlow in Houston Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

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“Steve has the experience, the courage, and the conviction to do just that. I’m honored to support his campaign and urge voters in Texas’s 2nd Congressional District to join me in electing Steve Toth to Congress,” he added.

While President Donald Trump has not made an endorsement in the race, he previously backed Toth for Texas state House in 2022 and 2024.

EXCLUSIVE: DAN CRENSHAW’S GOP CHALLENGER SAYS ‘DAYS IN CONGRESS ARE NUMBERED’ AS RACE HEATS UP

Texas House incumbent Rep. Steve Toth gives a brief statement before the start of a gubernatorial debate held at Grace Woodlands Church and put on by the True Texas Project on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022 in Spring, Texas. (Michael Wyke/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

“State Representative Steve Toth is doing a fantastic job representing Texas State House District 15. A Small Business Owner and an Ordained Minister, Steve is fighting tirelessly to Secure our Elections, Grow the Economy, Eliminate Needless Regulations, Strengthen the Border, Support our Great Military/Veterans, and Protect and Defend our under siege Second Amendment. Steve Toth has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump wrote in a 2024 Truth Social post.

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The last day of early voting for Texas’ March 3 primary contests is Friday, according to the Texas Secretary of State website.

CRUZ WARNED MEXICO OFFICIALS ‘PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS GOING TO’ ACT IF THEY DIDN’T FIGHT CARTELS

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, arrives for the cloture vote on the government funding bill in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Crenshaw has served in Congress since early 2019.

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Nancy Guthrie neighbors’ Ring camera captures vehicles on possible route from crime scene

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Nancy Guthrie neighbors’ Ring camera captures vehicles on possible route from crime scene

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EXCLUSIVE: TUCSON, Ariz. — A resident in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood has a street-facing Ring camera that caught 12 cars passing by on the morning of Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abduction.

The recordings took place between midnight and 6 a.m. on Feb. 1, and some of the activity occurred near the 2:30 a.m. mark, which is around the time authorities said the 84-year-old Guthrie’s pacemaker device last synced with her iPhone.

The homeowners, Elias and Danielle Stratigouleas, told Fox News Digital that police had not canvassed their neighborhood in the 25 days since Guthrie is believed to have been taken from her bed in a home invasion kidnapping. The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been alerted to the video. It was not immediately clear whether the video is of any use to the investigation or whether the vehicle had ever been on Guthrie’s street.

Guthrie is the mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, a Tucson native.

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Left: A still image from Ring camera video shows a vehicle passing a home near Nancy Guthrie’s on Feb. 1, the morning she is believed to have been abducted. Right: Nancy in an undated family photo. (Courtesy of Elias and Danielle Stratigouleas, Courtesy of NBC)

The Stratigouleas house is on a back road that leads out of Guthrie’s neighborhood, avoiding major intersections. And they live about 2.5 miles away from the crime scene, which is outside the 2-mile radius of neighbors who received a Ring alert asking for video taken from Jan. 1 to Feb. 2.

Their house is roughly a seven-minute drive from Guthrie’s address, according to Google Maps. One of their videos was recorded at around 2:36 a.m. on Feb. 1, which is roughly eight minutes after Guthrie’s pacemaker last synced with her iPhone, according to the sheriff’s timeline.

WATCH: Ring video shows vehicles on outskirts of Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood morning of abduction

Danielle Stratigouleas said the number of cars passing that night was not unusual, but she and a friend found it “odd” that no one from law enforcement had visited her neighborhood.

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NANCY GUTHRIE SUSPECT’S DIGITAL ‘BLACKOUT’ MAY BE KEY TO CASE, SAYS EXPERT WHO PROBED KOHBERGER PHONE

A map details the neighborhood surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s home on Camino Escalante in Tucson, Arizona, and a secondary route through the Catalina Foothills down Camino Real leading to East River Road. (Fox News)

A Ring camera image taken from video shows a vehicle driving south on Camino Real at 2:36 a.m. on Feb. 1, the morning Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been abducted from a home nearby in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson, Arizona. (Courtesy of Elias and Danielle Stratigouleas)

The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been alerted to the video. It was not immediately clear whether it is of any use to the investigation. 

Retired NYPD detective and national security expert Pat Brosnan reviewed the video with his team. He tells Fox News Digital they believe the vehicle seen at 2:36 a.m. is a Kia Soul, based on its slanted roof, window design and rear-quarter glass. He also noted the vertical brake lights.

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The rewards are still outstanding, and anyone with information they think may be relevant is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The route itself had been flagged to Fox News Digital by another neighbor — who said she also saw a suspicious man walking in the area on Feb. 2, around the corner from what appeared to be an abandoned car. The young mother asked not to be named due to concerns for her children’s safety amid the unsolved kidnapping investigation.

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WATCH: Path out of Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood avoids major intersections

She described him as about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, Hispanic, with a close-trimmed beard and wearing a silver bracelet. He was smoking a cigarette near the intersection of Camino Juan Paisano and Piedra Seca, which is between Camino Real and Guthrie’s home.

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The Pima County Sheriff’s Department did not return multiple phone calls and emails about the man or the vehicle, a dark red Honda SUV that the neighbor said was moved after three days.

A neighbor of Nancy Guthrie’s spotted this dark red Honda near Camino Real on Feb. 2, the day after Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abduction nearby. She told Fox News Digital that it remained in place for a couple of days after deputies examined it. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

A neighbor of Nancy Guthrie’s spotted this dark red Honda near Camino Real on Feb. 2, the day after Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abduction nearby. She told Fox News Digital it remained in place for about three days before it was moved. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

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Another unidentified man was spotted in mid-January, according to neighbor Aldine Meister.

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“He didn’t have your typical walking gear on, and he had his hat pulled really far over his eyes,” she told Fox News Digital.

She said she saw the man walking in the neighborhood, near an intersection leading to Guthrie’s home — and hadn’t encountered him before or after. 

Deputies examine a flyer taped to Nancy Guthrie’s mailbox on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.  (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

“He was kind of younger, and he just didn’t look like he was going out for a walk,” she added. 

She mentioned it to her husband but did not report it to investigators until after Guthrie’s disappearance.

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FBI agents canvass homes near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.  (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

Danielle Stratigouleas told Fox News Digital that she did see deputies searching what locals call a wash, a common terrain feature in the region, near her office, which is on Skyline Drive, another main road that borders Guthrie’s development. 

North Campbell, which was extensively searched by authorities and volunteers, connects to both main arteries. Camino Real connects only to East River Road.

“I think it sounds smart, and if they even sort of knew the area or actually cased the area beforehand, that road behind Camino Real called Camino Escuela would be an even better idea,” she told Fox News Digital. “There’s never anybody on it, and never a police car to be seen.”

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Fox News Digital approached five other homes with street-facing cameras on Camino Real. Three of the homeowners said they had not been visited by law enforcement, either. No one answered the door at the other two.

None said they had any notable video from Feb. 1.

Campbell also runs past the University of Arizona and is a much busier road, she said.

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An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie was provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the 84-year-old. (Courtesy of NBC)

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“It’s always buzzing even on a Saturday night,” she added. “Camino La Brinca and Camino Piedra Seca also lead to Camino Real, and they’re a good way to get from Camino Zorella.”

The residents said they’re hoping more people outside the radius will check their cameras and submit anything that could help the FBI.

Guthrie is believed to have been forcibly abducted from her home on North Camino Escalante, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

In more than three weeks, police have not publicly identified any suspects, persons of interest or vehicles connected to the case. They briefly detained but later released several people and have towed multiple vehicles, including those belonging to family members and the detainees.

No one has been charged with a crime as of Thursday morning, however.

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Exterior view of the front entrance of Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona, Tuesday, February 3, 2026. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

The FBI and Google teamed up to recover doorbell camera footage even though her Nest device is physically unaccounted for, and she did not have a cloud subscription. 

FBI Director Kash Patel released still images and video on Feb. 10.

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The video shows a masked individual with gloves on, prowling on her front porch. 

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These two images were released by the FBI, recovered from Nancy Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera. It’s unclear whether they show the same person. (FBI)

According to two sources with knowledge of the investigation, one of the doorbell images was taken on a different date than the others. It shows an individual who may be the same masked intruder at Guthrie’s doorstep, without an Ozark Trail backpack or holstered pistol.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has called the timeline surrounding the images speculation. 

Savannah Guthrie is asking anyone with information in the case to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI or contact her directly.

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Travis County DA faces renewed ‘soft on crime’ criticism after career criminal charged with murder

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Travis County DA faces renewed ‘soft on crime’ criticism after career criminal charged with murder

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A Texas-based career criminal with a lengthy rap sheet is behind bars in Travis County after he was charged with murdering a father of five outside a 7-Eleven in Austin, reviving scrutiny of Travis County District Attorney José Garza and what critics call his controversial prosecutorial record and “soft on crime” approach.

Caleb Anthony Jenkins, described by police as a career criminal, was charged with murder in connection with a shooting last year that left a 25-year-old father dead outside a 7-Eleven. According to Austin police, Jenkins allegedly shot the victim and drove off.

But critics argue the killing may have been preventable. Garza’s office previously dismissed or declined to prosecute three separate gun charges against Jenkins in incidents dating back to 2022. He was also arrested in 2023 on a domestic violence charge and failed to appear in court, as Fox News reported. Most recently, he was re-arrested and released after his bond was raised.

Taken together, the developments have intensified public criticism of Garza, the Democratic district attorney backed by liberal mega-donor George Soros,

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District Attorney Jose Garza in Austin, Texas. (Spencer Selvidge for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Garza, who was elected Travis County DA without prior experience as a prosecutor, has faced criticism from police advocacy groups and victims’ families since taking office. They have accused him of deliberately slow-walking certain cases and embracing lenient sentencing policies.

The criticism has sparked national attention in years past. In 2023, the family of 25-year-old Doug Cantor, who was shot and killed in the 2021 Sixth Street mass shooting in downtown Austin, criticized Garza for slow-walking the trial of the gunman.

Family members told Fox News Digital in an interview at the time that they believed Garza had put the case on the “back burner.”

“It’s very clear that his focus and attention is not on this case,” Nick Kantor told Fox News Digital in an interview reflecting on the two-year anniversary of his brother’s death — and the way Garza, who has been widely criticized for soft-on-crime policies, has handled the case.

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AUSTIN DA GARZA CREATES CONFUSION WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF IMPENDING INDICTMENTS AGAINST MULTIPLE POLICE OFFICERS

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza poses in front of the Austin skyline in a portrait from the county website. Garza has faced criticism for accusations that he aggressively prosecutes police officers accused of wrongdoing while going easy on career criminals. (Travis County DA Website)

“He’s doing things that are clearly causing distress on the trial and on the overall outcome of the case and for getting justice for my brother,” Kantor said. 

Other victims’ families cited similar behavior from Garza’s office in interviews with Fox News Digital. 

While overall reported crime in Travis County has declined, opponents argue dismissal rates have been “political,” and could further endanger public safety.

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It “appears that Garza has now become more of an advocate for the criminal than he has for the victim,” Dennis Farris, president of the Austin Police Retired Officer’s Association, previously told Fox News Digital.

“The prosecution is acting more like defense attorneys than they are prosecutors,” Farris said in an interview roughly one year after Garza took office. “Whatever his skewed view of what criminal justice reform is, it isn’t working. It sure isn’t working for the victims.” 

CRIME EXPERTS RESPOND TO SOROS DEFENDING SUPPORT FOR PROGRESSIVE DAS AMID CRIME WAVE: ‘DISASTROUS’

George Soros delivers a speech at the 2022 World Economic Forum in Davos. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

“It used to be that they got the victims’ buy-in before offering plea bargains. Now it doesn’t appear he’s even doing that, because they’re not even communicating with them, and that’s what’s leading to the revictimization of these families.” 

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Current and former local law enforcement officers have criticized Garza’s actions and his alleged “war on cops,” after the Soros-backed district attorney campaigned on indicting police officers and “reimagining” policing in Austin.

Soros contributed $652,000 to the Texas Justice & Public Safety PAC in the months leading up to the 2020 Travis County DA election, according to campaign finance records.

That same PAC spent almost $1 million on digital and mail advertisements to help Garza’s campaign, as Fox News reported.

The Travis County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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