A Travis County judge ruled that the senders of text messages and mailers that appeared to come from Texas transgender advocacy groups must answer questions about the matter later this week. Judge Jan Soifer also ordered the Texas Transgender Student Union, a company formed last month in Wyoming, to answer questions about how it was created and how it sent the mailers.
Chris Hilton, who identified himself as the lawyer for the senders, argued at a hearing in Austin on Tuesday that his clients should not have to give their names. He said his clients will stop sending the pamphlets and that their actions are protected by the First Amendment. Hilton said the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) was trying to expose his clients before the election as a political ploy. He has appealed the ruling.
TENT said it did not send the communications and filed a petition last week asking the court to let it question the senders under oath. TENT attorney Mimi Marziani said the messages led to harassment and threats against the group's staff and could amount to illegal impersonation. Political consultants, attorneys and civil rights advocates have speculated about the motive, but the senders' identities have not been made public.