Ted Cruz Blasts Politifact for Questionable Effort to Fact Check Him: ‘Politifact Exists to Serve’ the Democratic Party

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A spokesman for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) took aim at PolitiFact on Thursday for attempting to undermine his assessment that Texas could arrest Democrats in its state legislature.

“PolitiFact exists to carry water for the Democratic Party, so they’re not interested in the search for truth,” a spokesman said in a statement to Fox News. “Pretending that the law doesn’t clearly allow for the arrest and potential physical compulsion of delinquent legislators is patently absurd. This is yet another example of Politifact getting it wrong in their shameless attempt to make excuses for Democrat lies, under the false pretense of confirming facts.”

Democratic Texas lawmakers fled the state this summer to avoid losing a vote on legislation Republicans proposed related to the election process. The move deprived the legislature of quorum, leaving Republicans unable to take a vote. Cruz, who served as the state’s solicitor general from 2003-08, opined last month, “There is clear legal authority to handcuff and put in leg irons legislators that are trying to stop the legislature from being able to do business.”

Politifact claimed in a subsequent fact check that Texas House Rules “state that absent lawmakers can ‘be sent for and arrested, wherever they may be found.’ But, because absent lawmakers aren’t charged with a crime, it’s unclear how the use of the word ‘arrest’ should be interpreted in this context. This is because no Texas court has reviewed how this provision is to be enforced. Thus, there is no legal clarity.”

House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) signed arrest warrants this week for the AWOL Democrats. A district court judge granted the lawmakers a writ of habeas corpus on Wednesday afternoon, allowing them to remain at-large until courts decide whether the apprehensions should move forward.