Democrats demand US Treasury probe on Texas shifting Covid funds to border security

Castro, Escobar accuse Gov. Abbott of misusing federal funds intended for pandemic relief to pay for Operation Lone Star.


WASHINGTON – Texas Democrats in Congress have asked the U.S. Treasury to investigate whether Gov. Greg Abbott has misused up to $1 billion in pandemic relief funds to pay for the state’s controversial border security effort.

“Governor Abbott must not be allowed to use federal coronavirus relief funds to further his political theater at the expense of Texas families,” they wrote Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, noting that “the funding in question was intended to help Texans rebuild from the pandemic.”

A Treasury official said Tuesday the department has received and is reviewing the letter from Reps. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio and Veronica Escobar of El Paso and seven others.

Abbott’s office has denied misuse of federal Covid-19 funds, a $15.8 billion windfall from Congress last year intended to help states cope with the pandemic.

With few strings attached, Abbott has been able to beef up border spending by tapping health and prison budgets, then backfilling with the federal relief funds.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2022/05/10/dems-demand-us-treasury-probe-on-texas-shifting-covid-funds-to-border-security/