AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, sent a letter to former Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, demanding the former lawmaker cover the cost of a special election to replace him.
In the letter, Abbott accused Farenthold of "wrongly" using taxpayer funds to settle a sexual harassment claim against him, a scandal which eventually led to Farenthold's resignation from Congress.
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"While you have publicly offered to reimburse the $84,000 in taxpayer funds you wrongly used to settle a sexual harassment claim, there is no legal recourse requiring you to give that money back to Congress,” Abbott wrote.
“I am urging you to give those funds back to the counties in your district…This seat must be filled, and the counties and taxpayers in the 27th Congressional District should not again pay the price for your actions.”
Farenthold announced his resignation on April 6.
The emergency special election will be held in Congressional District 27 on Saturday, June 30, 2018. In the event of a runoff, that election will likely be held in September.
Read the governor's full letter to Farenthold.