Governor Greg Abbott on January 28 formally demanded that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton use existing legal authority to investigate and eliminate the ability of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its affiliated entities to operate in Texas.<\/p>\n
In a letter<\/a> sent to Paxton, Abbott argued that Texas law already provides the Attorney General broad oversight powers over nonprofits suspected of violating state law and urged him to deploy those tools against CAIR and its affiliates.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Texas Attorney General is the only elected official charged with regulating nonprofits that may be violating the law,\u201d Abbott wrote. \u201cYou have used these tools before; I urge you to use them to combat CAIR.\u201d<\/p>\n Abbott Cites Attorney General\u2019s Authority Over Nonprofits<\/p>\n Abbott cited multiple provisions of Texas law authorizing the Attorney General to investigate nonprofits, compel records, and seek judicial forfeiture of corporate charters.<\/p>\n The governor wrote that Texas law empowers the Attorney General to \u201cinspect, examine, and copy records of nonprofits,\u201d and that a nonprofit that refuses to comply \u201cforfeits the right \u2026 to do business in this state,\u201d while individuals who refuse to comply \u201calso commit a crime.\u201d<\/p>\n Abbott also noted that the Attorney General may issue civil investigative demands requiring organizations to \u201cproduce documents, answer questions, or provide testimony regarding potential civil violations,\u201d and that state law permits the Attorney General to \u201cseek a lien against all existing property the nonprofit has in this State.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVoluminous documents detail the dangers posed to Texans by the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, and their affiliates,\u201d Abbott wrote. \u201cWe must not allow them to go unaddressed.\u201d<\/p>\n Demand Follows CAIR Designation, School District Scrutiny<\/p>\n Abbott\u2019s January 28 demand follows a series of actions targeting CAIR and affiliated entities in Texas, including his recent intervention involving public school districts that considered hosting events tied to the \u201cIslamic Games,\u201d as previously reported by The Dallas Express<\/a>.<\/p>\n In those cases, Abbott warned that the Texas Education Agency could seize district records and refer findings to the Attorney General, prompting multiple districts to halt or deny facility use for the event.<\/p>\n