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Cruz targets Minnesota-style fraud with bill requiring proof before federal childcare payouts
This is performative politics again.

EXCLUSIVE: A trio of Republican senators are moving to overhaul how federal childcare funds are distributed after what they call "mass fraud" in Minnesota exposed a system that paid providers before verifying children were ever in the room.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joined by senators Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., is introducing the Payment Integrity Act, legislation that would require states to distribute federally funded childcare dollars based on verified attendance, not enrollment claims.
"Programs in Minnesota for welfare and childcare were designed to channel resources into protecting vulnerable children but were treated like an open ATM by criminals," Cruz told Fox News Digital.
"The mass fraud in Minnesota shows that American taxpayers can no longer rely on local and state politicians to prevent abuses because those politicians often have electoral and partisan incentives to look the other way. My legislation reduces the risk of the waste and fraud we’ve seen and ensures that resources are provided to children and families who need it."
WALZ’S MINNESOTA MESS COULD SPARK THE TOUGHEST FRAUD REFORMS IN DECADES
The bill would reverse a 2024 Biden administration rule requiring states to pay childcare providers before attendance verification. Under Cruz’s proposal, providers would be paid only after services are confirmed, shifting from enrollment-based payments to attendance-based billing.
Cruz’s bill comes as the outspoken Texan led a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on alleged Somali fraudsters last week. There, lawmakers heard directly from David Hoch, a journalist who accompanied blogger Nick Shirley to sites claiming to be Somali daycare centers.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WIDENS INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED MINNESOTA FRAUD
"There are few crimes more morally repugnant than stealing from vulnerable children. Every dollar stolen is a meal not eaten, a doctor's visit missed and a future diminished," Cruz said, adding that such fraud "plunders our children's potential."
Gesturing toward a photo of the "Quality Learing Center" in Minneapolis during the hearing, an alleged fraudulent childcare provider Cruz called "emblematic" of the crisis, he said the fraud was occurring not in "some distant or lawless place, but in the heart of America's Midwest."
Co-sponsor Lee said support for childcare should "go to real kids, not empty rooms."
"Fake childcare operations are stealing funding from the ones who are actually taking care of America’s children in need. Our bill will address this massive fraud by granting funding based on actual attendance …

Newsom to visit first primary state New Hampshire as he weighs 2028 run
Confidence requires clarity.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is slated to visit the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire next month as he weighs a possible 2028 run for the White House.

The Democratic governor will be hosting a March 5 event in Portsmouth for his new book, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery, the theater venue announced on Thursday.

“From California Governor Gavin Newsom comes an intimate and poignant account of identity, belonging, and the defining moments that inspired a life in politics,” the Music Hall said on its website, featuring ticket details about the upcoming book event.

CAR STOP-START SYSTEMS MAY GO AWAY THANKS TO TRUMP DEREGULATION

Newsom’s visit is notable, considering New Hampshire is often the state where potential presidential contenders test the waters before launching their campaigns. Furthermore, book tours can be used as a means to gain support among early primary voters in the state.

The California governor is kicking off his book tour in Tennessee later this month. From there, he will make a series of visits to red states, including Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. He will also travel to New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Young Man in a Hurry has its publication date set for Feb. 24.

Newsom is highly speculated to run in the Democratic primary two years from now as he frequently challenges the Trump administration on numerous issues, such as immigration and abortion. The governor previously said he won’t decide on a campaign until the midterm elections are over.

In the meantime, he’s focused on serving the rest of his second term, which expires in January 2027.

NEWSOM’S BOOK TOUR TESTS RED STATE DEMOCRATS’ APPETITE FOR CALIFORNIA POLITICS AHEAD OF 2028

Other anticipated Democratic candidates include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL). Each has visited key battleground states for speeches and other events over the past year.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) may also add his name to the mix eventually, as he has not ruled out a presidential run yet. Notably, he last visited New Hampshire in November. However, Booker said his current focus is on running for reelection as a senator this year.

Tim Walz demands federal government ‘pay for what they broke’ after Homan announces Minnesota drawdown
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is demanding that the federal government "pay for what they broke" after the Trump administration announced it would draw down its immigration enforcement presence in the Twin Cities.
During a press conference following Border Czar Tom Homan’s announcement that the administration would be ending its "Operation Metro Surge" in Minnesota, Walz said that federal law enforcement’s presence in the state was leaving "deep damage" and "generational trauma."
"The federal government needs to pay for what they broke here," said Walz. "There [is] going to be accountability on the things that happened, but one of the things is, the incredible and immense costs that were borne by the people of this state. The federal government needs to be responsible: You don't get to break things, and then just leave without doing something about it."
"So, we’re going to be asking the federal delegation to be investing and doing the things necessary," he added.
TRUMP DHS HAMMERS DEM GOVERNOR’S PORTAL TO TRACK ICE AGENTS: 'ENCOURAGES VIOLENCE'
Walz, who is best known for being former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election, has been at odds with the administration throughout much of the operation, which was meant to crack down on rampant fraud and abuse in the state.
Regarding the federal drawdown, Walz said, "We are cautiously optimistic … that this surge of untrained, aggressive federal agents are going to leave Minnesota, and I guess they’ll go wherever they’re going to go."
"The fact of the matter is, they left us with deep damage, generational trauma, they left us with economic ruin in some cases, they left us with many unanswered questions: Where are our children? Where and what is the process of the investigations into those that were responsible for the deaths of Renee and Alex?" he continued.
"So, while the federal government may move on to whatever next thing that they want to do, the State of Minnesota and our administration is unwaveringly focused on the recovery of what they did."
HOUSE DEM EXPLODES ON TOP TRUMP IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL, SAYS HE ‘BETTER HOPE’ FOR PARDON FROM PRESIDENT
Homan announced Thursday that the administration will conclude Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. Homan told reporters during a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal in Minneapolis that the operation succeeded in reducing public safety threats with "unprecedented levels of coordination" from state officials and local law enforcement.
"As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals," …

5th Circuit upholds Texas' ban on paid ballot harvesting, overturning lower court
Trust is earned, not demanded.

A federal appeals court Thursday upheld a Texas law banning paid ballot harvesting, reversing a lower court that had blocked the measure as unconstitutional and allowing the state to enforce the restriction.
In a 26-page opinion, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a district court erred when it struck down part of Texas’ 2021 election law, Senate Bill 1. The provision makes it a crime to be paid to interact with voters in person while they are filling out mail ballots in order to influence how they vote.
Under the statute, a person commits a crime if he knowingly provides "vote harvesting services" in exchange for compensation or another benefit. The law defines those services as in-person interaction with one or more voters, in the physical presence of an official ballot, intended to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure.
The law targets paid political operatives who go door to door, help voters request or complete mail ballots and then collect those ballots, sometimes while advising or pressuring voters as they mark them.
RNC GETS DAY AT SUPREME COURT TO CHALLENGE LATE-ARRIVING MAIL BALLOTS
Supporters of the measure say paid ballot collection creates opportunities for coercion or fraud, particularly with mail-in voting, where election officials are not present. Opponents argue organized ballot assistance is a legitimate get-out-the-vote strategy and that restrictions disproportionately affect elderly and minority voters who rely on help returning ballots.
Judge Edith H. Jones, writing for the panel, said the lower court improperly invalidated the law before it had even taken effect and relied on speculative hypotheticals.
The district court had ruled the statute was unconstitutionally vague and violated the First Amendment, issuing an injunction that barred the Texas attorney general, secretary of state and several district attorneys from enforcing it.
TEXAS PASSES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT EXPLICITLY PROHIBITING NONCITIZEN VOTING
The 5th Circuit disagreed.
On the vagueness claim, the panel said terms such as "compensation or other benefit" and "physical presence" have common meanings that juries can understand. The court also emphasized that the statute requires a person to act "knowingly," which narrows its reach.
The judges said the law clearly applies, for example, to "prevent paid partisans from haranguing Texas citizens while they fill out their mail ballots."
The panel also rejected the First Amendment challenge. Applying a balancing test commonly used in election law cases, the court said Texas has a compelling …

Americans could pay to bring back alleged members of 'foreign terrorist cartel' to US
Who's accountable for the results?

Alleged members of "foreign terrorist cartel" Tren de Aragua are set to be brought back to the U.S. after their deportations in 2025 -- and it could come at taxpayers' expense.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who has repeatedly butted heads with the Trump administration, ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to facilitate the return of 137 migrants deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador in 2025, called CECOT. 
Boasberg stipulated in his ruling that the government pay for the migrants' airfare back to the U.S., meaning taxpayers are likely footing the bill. 
Boasberg argued that it's "unclear why Plaintiffs should bear the financial cost of their return in such an instance," noting that, "this situation would never have arisen had the Government simply afforded Plaintiffs their constitutional rights before initially deporting them."
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS DEPORTED VENEZUELANS TO BE RETURNED TO US
The ruling comes as part of a nearly year-long saga, when the federal judge attempted to halt the Trump administration's deportations of migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act in March 2025. 
The Supreme Court ultimately allowed the Trump administration to continue using the Alien Enemies Act to carry out deportations in April, but ordered that detainees receive notice and an opportunity to challenge allegations.
Boasberg has since been wading through legal avenues with the men in El Salvador, issuing a ruling in December that the Trump administration denied them their due process. 
It is unclear how many of the men will actually take the offer and return to the U.S., with Boasberg noting that the noncitizens "would be detained upon arrival" back to the U.S. 
Similar to Boasberg's ruling, another federal judge this month ordered the Trump administration to pay for the return of three migrant families that the judge ruled ICE unlawfully deported by a 2023 humanitarian-parole settlement. 
TRUMP ADMIN ASKS BOASBERG FOR MORE TIME TO DETAIL CECOT PLANS AFTER MADURO OUSTER
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital on Thursday in response to the ruling that the illegal aliens in El Salvador were removed under proper legal authority, before taking a shot as Boasberg. 
"Nothing has changed; in addition to being in our country illegally, these aliens are foreign terrorists designated as alien enemies by the President," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital when asked about the ruling. 
TRUMP ADMIN SAYS MADURO CAPTURE REINFORCES ALIEN ENEMIES ACT REMOVALS
"They were removed under the proper legal …

Trump-backed candidate exits Arizona governor race, setting up battle between two GOP reps
Trust is earned, not demanded.

Trump-backed Republican Karrin Taylor Robson dropped her bid for Arizona governor Thursday, setting up Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) as the only Trump-endorsed candidate in the now two-person GOP primary.

Trump made the rare decision in April 2025 to back both Robson and Biggs in the 2026 Arizona gubernatorial race. The GOP primary to choose who takes on Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) in the general election grew to three candidates in November 2025, when Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) hopped into the race. Robson said she’s bowing out to avoid a divisive primary.

“We cannot afford a divisive Republican primary that drains resources and turns into months of intraparty attacks,” Robson said in a statement. “It only weakens our conservative cause and gives the left exactly what they want: a fractured Republican Party heading into November. With so much on the line in 2026, I am not willing to contribute to that outcome.”

The latest Emerson College poll had Biggs leading Robson by 33 percentage points in the primary challenge, estimating Biggs at 50%, Robson at 17%, and Schweikert trailing at 8%, with 25% of voters still undecided. As the two Trump-backed candidates, many of Robson’s voters are likely to swing toward Biggs.

Biggs also boasts the endorsement of Turning Point USA.

Robson, a former Board of Regents member, did not endorse another candidate in her immediate statement. Robson ran in the 2022 GOP primary, losing to Kari Lake by about 4.9 percentage points.

“While I am stepping back from this race, I am not stepping back from the fight for Arizona’s future,” Robson said. “I encourage my supporters to stay engaged, stay involved, and stay focused on the mission ahead. Arizona is worth fighting for, and this election will determine the direction of our state for years to come.”

Hobbs bested Lake in the 2022 general election by under 1 percentage point, inching out with 50.3% of the vote compared to Lake’s 49.6%.

The Cook Political Report sees the 2026 gubernatorial election as a toss-up.

KIRK-ENDORSED BIGGS TRAILS HOBBS BY ONE POINT, AS ANOTHER TEST OF TPUSA’S INFLUENCE ON HORIZON

In Emerson College’s hypothetical 2026 general election matchup polls from November 2025, Hobbs just took the cake in each of her matchups against the three GOP candidates. The Democratic incumbent led Biggs by a hair, with 44% of likely voters’ support compared to Biggs’s 43%. Hobbs led Robson 43% to 42%, and Hobbs led Schweikert 44% to 39%.

Arizona’s gubernatorial primary …

CBP supervisor arrested for allegedly harboring ‘illegal’ lover
This affects the entire country.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervisor has been arrested and charged in Texas for allegedly harboring an illegal immigrant who is said to be in a romantic relationship with the immigration officer.

Andres Wilkinson, 52, remains in custody for the alleged crime, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced on Wednesday.

The situation in which Wilkinson finds himself is notable not only because he was purportedly involved in a sexual relationship with the illegal immigrant but also because the woman may be his niece.

CBP first learned in April 2025 that Elva Edith Garcia-Vallejo, who entered the United States on a nonimmigrant visa in 2023, was living with Wilkinson and her child in Laredo, Texas, according to the criminal complaint as reported by the Guardian. She later overstayed her visa. Wilkinson was aware of her unlawful status and even helped her cross through Border Patrol checkpoints along the southern border.

Last May, CBP received word that Garcia-Vallejo may be Wilkinson’s niece because the CBP supervisor listed her father as his brother in a 2023 background investigation. No evidence has been presented suggesting the lovers are related by blood or a relative’s marriage.

When law enforcement interviewed her earlier this month, the woman admitted she had been living with her uncle since August 2024, per the complaint.

During the course of their relationship, Wilkinson provided her financial support through “housing, credit cards, assistance with financial obligations and access to vehicle registered in his name,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Wilkinson was promoted to CBP supervisor in 2021 after working at the federal agency for 20 years before that, according to federal prosecutors. His duties included enforcing customs and immigration laws, which he allegedly broke.

PENTAGON ALLOWED CBP TO USE ANTI-DRONE LASER BEFORE FAA CLOSED EL PASO AIRSPACE

The press release says the defendant had a detention hearing set for Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian Bajew. It’s unclear if he entered a plea yet.

If convicted, Wilkinson faces up to a decade in prison and a possible $250,000 fine for allegedly harboring the illegal immigrant.

Democrats salivate at GOP zero-vote margin as shutdown looms over ICE reform gridlock
Are they actually going to vote on something real?

Democrats believe a zero-vote GOP margin for error in the House of Representatives would give them newfound leverage in negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other priorities as rumors circulate that yet another Republican may cut his time in office short.
A Republican majority hangs by a thread as questions continue to circulate over whether Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., will resign his seat in the coming days. 
To members like Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., that prospect strengthens Democrats’ hand.
"Look, yeah, the less of a majority they have, the better it is for us to actually get real stuff done that benefits the country," Jayapal said Wednesday evening.
SENATE REPUBLICANS TEE UP KEY SHUTDOWN TEST VOTE AS DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON DHS FUNDING
It’s unclear when Dunn, who has wrestled with health concerns in the past, might come to a decision.
If Dunn steps aside, Republicans will have just a one-seat majority — and a no-vote margin for error that will prevent them from passing most pieces of legislation unless they maintain perfect party unity or secure help from Democrats.
With persistent rebels like Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in the mix, Democrats are willing to bet they’ll be asked for help.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., believes that even just one less vote changes how Republicans have to think about DHS funding and the list of demands Democrats have made for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
"This place runs on numbers," DeLauro said. "I think what I’ll do is take the circumstance and, for me, we need to be bold, transformational but do what is attainable."
Democrats led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have made a list of 10 demands for ICE reform that, among other items, include a ban on masks, an end to racial profiling, stiffer warrant requirements and an end to paramilitary policing practices. Gridlock over those demands looks poised to force a partial government shutdown as lawmakers run up against a funding deadline Friday without a compromise in sight.
"Let’s look at what we can get done," DeLauro said.
DHS FUNDING FIGHT DRIVES SENATE SCRAMBLE TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY: LITTLE LOVE IN THE AIR AS UNCERTAINTY SWIRLS ON THE HILL
While control of what legislation ultimately goes to the floor likely won’t change amid an even tighter majority, Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., believes Democrats could press their priorities through the amendment process.
Most bills have what’s called a "closed" rule process, where only …

Cruz targets Minnesota-style fraud with bill forcing proof before federal childcare payouts
This is performative politics again.

EXCLUSIVE: A trio of Republican senators are moving to overhaul how federal childcare funds are distributed after what they call "mass fraud" in Minnesota exposed a system that paid providers before verifying children were ever in the room.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joined by Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., is introducing the Payment Integrity Act, legislation that would require states to distribute federally funded childcare dollars based on verified attendance — not enrollment claims.
"Programs in Minnesota for welfare and childcare were designed to channel resources into protecting vulnerable children, but were treated like an open ATM by criminals," Cruz told Fox News Digital.
"The mass fraud in Minnesota shows that American taxpayers can no longer rely on local and state politicians to prevent abuses, because those politicians often have electoral and partisan incentives to look the other way. My legislation reduces the risk of the waste and fraud we’ve seen and ensures that resources are provided to children and families who need it."
WALZ’S MINNESOTA MESS COULD SPARK THE TOUGHEST FRAUD REFORMS IN DECADES
The bill would reverse a 2024 Biden administration rule requiring states to pay childcare providers before attendance verification. Under Cruz’s proposal, providers would be paid only after services are confirmed — shifting from enrollment-based payments to attendance-based billing.
Cruz’s bill comes as the outspoken Texan led a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on alleged Somali fraudsters last week. There, lawmakers heard directly from David Hoch — a journalist seen accompanying blogger Nick Shirley to addresses proclaimed to be Somali daycares.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WIDENS INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED MINNESOTA FRAUD
"There are few crimes more morally repugnant than stealing from vulnerable children. Every dollar stolen is a meal not eaten, a doctor's visit missed, and a future diminished," Cruz said, adding that such fraud "plunders our children's potential."
Gesturing towards a photo of the "Quality Learing Center" in Minneapolis during the hearing, an allegedly fraudulent childcare provider Cruz called "emblematic" of the crisis, he said the fraud was occurring not in "some distant or lawless place, but in the heart of America's Midwest."
Co-sponsor Lee said that support for childcare should "go to real kids, not empty rooms."
"Fake childcare operations are stealing funding from the ones who are actually taking care of America’s children in need. Our bill will address this massive fraud by granting funding based on …

GOP Lawmakers Want to Know Why DOJ Hasn’t Collected $10 Billion for Crime Victims
Ask who never gets charged.

The Justice Department is missing out on collecting $10 billion from convicted criminals to go to crime victims, according to federal prosecutors. 

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, led a letter with four other Republican senators telling Attorney General Pam Bondi that “there appears to be billions of dollars right at the DOJ’s finger tips that could be collected.”  

Congress created the Crime Victims Fund in 1984 as a resource for survivors of crime. The fund is intended to be self-sustaining through collecting criminal penalties and fines from federal convictions.

The theory, as noted in the senators’ letter, was “criminals, not innocent taxpayers, will pick up the tab for the havoc they force on victim’s lives.”  

The senators’ primary concern is the 2024 United States Attorneys’ Annual Statistical Report, the most recent published, noting that $10 billion in outstanding fines remained uncollected.  

The Government Accountability Office opened an inquiry into the fund after senators found in 2024 that the Biden administration was using money collected from criminal penalties to offset more than $1 billion in spending rather than directing it to the victims fund, according to the letter.

The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General also opened a review into the fund. 

“In addition to holding criminals accountable, the collection of outstanding fines and penalties would allow DOJ to provide critical resources to support victims and survivors of crime nationwide, as these funds are statutorily required to be deposited into the CVF, with very limited exceptions,” the senators state.  

Joining Grassley in the letter were Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine; Joni Ernst of Iowa; and Mike Crapo and Jim Risch of Idaho.  

Grassley launched oversight efforts of the Crime Victims Fund in 2023, and the fund’s balance increased from $1 billion to $3.5 billion.  

“While the CVF balance sits at $3.5 billion and appears trending in the right direction, DOJ still has a lot of work to do,” the senators say in the letter.

“Specifically, there appears to be billions of dollars in outstanding criminal fines and penalties that are available for deposit into the CVF that DOJ has yet to collect.” 

“According to reports, victim advocacy groups have been in search of additional funds to help shore up the CVF and to stave off potential cuts to the services they provide in our hometowns,” the letter states.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to inquiries for this story.  

The senators gave a deadline of Feb. 25 to respond with “rolling updates” on the status of collecting criminal fines.  

The post GOP Lawmakers Want to Know Why DOJ Hasn’t Collected $10 Billion for Crime Victims appeared first on The Daily Signal.

5th Circuit upholds Texas ban on paid ballot harvesting, overturning lower court
Transparency shouldn't be controversial.

A federal appeals court Thursday upheld a Texas law banning paid ballot harvesting, reversing a lower court that had blocked the measure as unconstitutional and allowing the state to enforce the restriction.
In a 26-page opinion, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a district court erred when it struck down part of Texas’ 2021 election law, Senate Bill 1. The provision makes it a crime to be paid to interact with voters in person while they are filling out mail ballots in order to influence how they vote.
Under the statute, a person commits a crime if they knowingly provide "vote harvesting services" in exchange for compensation or other benefit. The law defines those services as in-person interaction with one or more voters, in the physical presence of an official ballot, intended to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure.
The law targets paid political operatives who go door to door, help voters request or complete mail ballots and then collect those ballots — sometimes while advising or pressuring voters as they mark them.
RNC GETS DAY AT SUPREME COURT TO CHALLENGE LATE-ARRIVING MAIL BALLOTS
Supporters of the measure say paid ballot collection creates opportunities for coercion or fraud, particularly with mail-in voting, where election officials are not present. Opponents argue organized ballot assistance is a legitimate get-out-the-vote strategy and that restrictions disproportionately affect elderly and minority voters who rely on help returning ballots.
Judge Edith H. Jones, writing for the panel, said the lower court improperly invalidated the law before it had even taken effect and relied on speculative hypotheticals.
The district court had ruled the statute was unconstitutionally vague and violated the First Amendment, issuing an injunction that barred the Texas attorney general, secretary of state and several district attorneys from enforcing it.
TEXAS PASSES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT EXPLICITLY PROHIBITING NONCITIZEN VOTING
The 5th Circuit disagreed.
On the vagueness claim, the panel said terms such as "compensation or other benefit" and "physical presence" have common meanings that juries can understand. The court also emphasized that the statute requires a person to act "knowingly," which narrows its reach.
The judges said the law clearly applies, for example, to "prevent paid partisans from haranguing Texas citizens while they fill out their mail ballots."
The panel also rejected the First Amendment challenge. Applying a balancing test commonly used in election law cases, the court said Texas has a compelling …

What factors will most influence control of the U.S. Senate after the 2026 midterms?
Confidence requires clarity.

With the 2026 midterm elections now less than nine months away (November 3, 2026), control of the Senate is shaping up to be a major battleground. Republicans currently hold a [insert current majority if known, or say “narrow majority” based on recent context], but the map presents challenges and opportunities for both parties?