House Republicans demand ethics probe into Joaquin Castro for ‘doxxing’ Trump supporters in San Antonio
By Jon Dougherty
(NationalSentinel) House Republicans are demanding an ethics probe into Rep. Joaquin Castro after his campaign “doxxed” more than 40 San Antonio-based businesses and supporters of President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection bid.
The twin brother of 2020 Democratic presidential contender and former Obama administration official Julian Castro, Joaquin reelection campaign posted late Monday night on Facebook that he was “sad to see so many San Antonians on this list of maximum donors to Donald Trump.”
He then specifically called out two companies, including a popular BBQ restaurant, and posted a list of 44 donors, with their full names and employers.
Some of the Trump donors doxxed by Castro (D-Texas) had also donated to his campaign and are now upset with him over the stunt and contemplating ousting him from office.
As for House Republicans, they say the political stunt, which has led to threats against some of the doxxed individuals, merits a serious ethics probe.
On Friday, six GOP lawmakers, led by Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, sent a letter expressing their concerns to House Ethics Committee Chair Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and ranking member Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas).
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“Posting a target list of private citizens simply for supporting his political opponent is antithetical to our principles and serves to suppress the free speech and free association rights of Americans,” the letter reads, referencing House rules requiring members to “behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.”
“These acts must immediately be investigated to determine if Rep. Castro has violated the ethical rules of this institution,” the letter adds.
The letter is also signed by Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Jody Hice of Georgia, Debbie Lesko of Arizona, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Randy Weber of Texas and Ted Budd of North Carolina, as The Hill reported.
“By publishing a list of private citizens who donated to his political opponent, Rep. Castro sought to encourage harassment against those citizens simply on the basis of their political beliefs,” the lawmakers wrote.
“It cannot be fairly argued that Rep. Castro had any other purpose in posting that list and telling his activist followers that those individuals were inciting hate,” they noted further. “Whether he intended to provoke physical violence or merely verbal harassment, his intent was to chill the free speech and free association rights of Americans.”
Wayne Harwell, owner of a local real estate development company appeared on the list, told Fox News in a phone interview that he donated money to Castro’s congressional campaign. However, he hinted that after Castro outed him in a bid to shame the president’s supporters, he won’t be supporting Castro anymore.
“I was also on a list of people that gave to Castro and if he dislikes me enough that he wants to put my name out there against Trump, I’m not going to give money to him,” Harwell said. “Obviously Castro feels pretty strongly against me.”
“It is just amazing to me that he would do that,” William Greehey, a philanthropist and former CEO of Valero Energy, told the news site. Federal Election Commission records show he donated $5,000 to Joaquin Castro’s congressional campaign in 2013, which covered the primary and general elections.
“Then he’s calling me a racist because I’m supporting Trump. I mean, this is just ridiculous,” said Greehey, who added he founded a $100 million homeless campus project that mostly serves Hispanics. “There’s a lot of things you don’t like about the president and his tweeting, but here Castro is doing the same thing with his tweeting.”
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Donald Kuyrkendall, president of a San Antonio commercial real estate company, said he was concerned for his family’s safety after appearing on the dox list.
“Were his intentions to incite people to picket Bill Miller’s barbecue or to come to Don Kuyrkendall’s house, you know, assault my wife, make nasty comments?” Kuyrkendall told the Washington Examiner.
“Life is short and this kind of silliness is not good for anybody, especially with the climate we have right now with two mass shootings in a weekend,” Kuyrkendall added.
“There’s just no reason to highlight individuals and their companies as being some kind of, I don’t even know what he thinks we are, bad guys because we support Republicans?”
As for Castro’s accusations that the president’s rhetoric is stoking violence and division, Harwell said, “I think some of the Democratic rhetoric is more hateful than some of Trump’s rhetoric.”
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