Records Link GOP Women’s Group to Anti-trans Campaign Messaging
WHO:
The Texas Tribune - The Republican Women’s Caucus Fund and an individual named John Braun were identified in an Infobip deposition as senders of texts referencing transgender youth resources; the deposition provided no further information about Braun.
The Texas Tribune - The Republican Women’s Caucus Fund denied involvement, saying: “We did not authorize, fund, direct, coordinate, or participate in these activities in any capacity.”
The Texas Tribune - The Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) sought to identify the people behind the texts and mailers. TENT’s lawyer, Mimi Marziani, said the group believed it had enough information to sue some of those responsible.
The Texas Tribune - The Texas Transgender Student Union sent the mailers; the group’s organizers remained unidentified. Its lawyer was Chris Hilton, formerly with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office and part of Paxton’s 2023 impeachment defense team.
The Texas Tribune - State Rep. Jeff Leach, a Republican from Plano, asked Paxton’s office to investigate. West Texas District Attorney Sarah Stogner opened a forgery investigation.
The Texas Tribune - Washington state Republican Sen. John Braun denied involvement in a statement to The Texas Observer; his campaign shares a treasurer with the Republican Women’s Caucus Fund.
WHAT:
The Texas Tribune - Infobip’s texts linked to TENT’s website and promoted guides about “bathrooms and beyond for trans kids at school” and gender-affirming care in Texas.
The Texas Tribune - Mailers addressed to “students” of Texas households referenced TENT and used a photo of its members without permission. They urged students whose parents did not support their gender identity to consult a “safe adult” or advocacy groups.
The Texas Tribune - TENT said it received threats of violence and reputational backlash after the texts. Conservative commentators also directed online backlash at TENT after the mailers.
The Texas Tribune - The Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked a deposition intended to identify the student union’s organizers, acting 15 minutes before questioning was due to begin. The court did not explain its decision.
WHERE:
The Texas Tribune - The texts were sent across Texas, and the mailers went to Texas households. The student union was registered in Wyoming and had an address linked to a Houston-area post office box.
The Texas Tribune - The depositions were ordered by Travis County District Judge Jan Soifer; Stogner’s investigation was in West Texas.
WHEN:
The Texas Tribune - The student union registered in Wyoming in early September. The texts and mailers were sent less than a week apart, before early voting in the midterm elections.
The Texas Tribune - The Supreme Court blocked the deposition on Friday after an emergency motion was filed late Thursday. TENT had a 10 a.m. Monday deadline to respond to the motion.
The Texas Tribune - Stogner said the mailers appeared intended to motivate conservative voters ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
WHY:
The Texas Tribune - TENT said the materials appeared designed to agitate voters and harm its reputation. Stogner said she was concerned the mailers were intended to influence the election.
The Texas Tribune - TENT sought the deposition to identify the senders in preparation for a potential lawsuit; it said it was cooperating with the forgery investigation.
HOW:
The Texas Tribune - A Travis County judge ordered Infobip’s deposition to be made non-confidential after TENT petitioned the court to reveal the text campaign’s client.
The Texas Tribune - TENT said it believed the texts and mailers came from the same entity, but acknowledged there was no evidence linking them. Infobip said it had no knowledge of a business relationship with the Wyoming group.
(UPDATED October 31, 2026 11:58 UTC)
Texts and mailers targeting transgender youth prompted threats against Texas advocacy group TENT. An Infobip deposition named a Republican caucus fund and John Braun as text senders. The Texas Supreme Court blocked questioning aimed at identifying mailer organizers; investigations continue.