Second Bomb Threat Called in to Hotel Housing Texas Dems

A bomb threat was reported at the Q-Center Hotel and Convention Complex in St. Charles, Illinois on Friday morning, the second such incident to occur in the past week where Texas Democrats are staying.

The St. Charles Police Department confirmed that at 8:32 a.m. on Friday morning, units responded to a potential bomb threat at the hotel complex. All 70 hotel guests were reported safe and no explosive devices were found. The threat came only two days after another bomb threat was reported Wednesday at the same location.

This incident has raised significant concerns about the safety and security of the lawmakers who had traveled to Illinois to avoid voting on a controversial bill in Texas. In an effort to prevent the Republican-led Texas state legislature from redrawing congressional maps, more than 50 Democrat representatives left the state Monday to prevent an official vote from taking place. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday he is prepared to seek a court ruling to label those Texas House Democrats who have fled the state absent and declare their seats vacant.

Senator John Cornyn, who is being challenged by Paxton in the Republican primary for his Senate seat, sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday urging the agency to take "any appropriate steps" to help law enforcement find or arrest the lawmakers who left the state to deny the state House quorum and prevent it from being able to conduct business.

Texas Democrats have vowed to keep fighting in the face of the Republican threats. Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, told the Texas Tribune on Friday he and his colleagues are doing their job. "It takes an act of defiance like this to wake up the country and let them know that our democracy is being stolen right in front of our eyes," he said adding, "If we're going to be the spark that lights that fire, then we're doing our jobs."