Sen. Padilla questions U.S. attorney over threat to ‘hunt down’ Texas voters

A U.S. senator is taking a federal prosecutor to task for his threat this week to “hunt down” Texas voters and local officials in the midterm election. 

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) sent a letter Friday to U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz seeking clarification about the threat, which Padilla said raised questions about “potential federal election interference by your office.” 

In a video posted on the first day of early voting in Texas, Reitz issued an explicit warning to voters and local officials: “If you violate federal election law, I will hunt you down and prosecute you. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. We’ll see you out at the polls.”

Reitz went on to threaten “crooked local election administrators” and vowed to make sure they prevent illegal voting. He added that his office will assist federal election monitors, collaborate with the Texas secretary of state and the Texas attorney general on investigations and coordinate with the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Civil Rights Division.

In his letter to Reitz, Padilla cited the DOJ’s election non-interference policy, which warns against interfering or appearing to interfere with election administration. He also cautioned that election workers already face threats and harassment while carrying out their responsibilities. 

“In this context, your unusual statement is not only potentially dangerous, but it also appears to conflict with Department guidelines for prosecutors’ behavior during an active federal election,” Padilla wrote. 

Reitz pushed back on Padilla’s letter in a statement Friday.

“Senator Padilla’s letter manufactures outrage over my October 19 statement on election integrity in an apparent attempt to intimidate my Office for doing its job,” Reitz said. “Rather than isolating out-of-context phrases and filtering them through a partisan lens, he should read or listen to the full statement. It makes clear exactly what my Office is doing this election season—all in accordance with the U.S. Constitution, federal law, the Justice Manual, and longstanding Department policy and practice. My Office will not be deterred from enforcing federal law by political pressure or partisan mischaracterizations. We will continue to impartially and lawfully hunt down and prosecute anyone who breaks the law—including federal election law.”

In his letter, Padilla raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest should Reitz — a former employee of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) — coordinate on election matters with Paxton, who is on the ballot himself this year in a highly competitive U.S. Senate race. 

Padilla included a list of questions and requested responses by Oct. 30. He asked Reitz to provide information about DOJ election monitors’ training, any evidence supporting his reference to “crooked” local election administrators and detailed documentation of his coordination with Paxton’s office and the Texas secretary of state’s office. 

“Election officials must also be able to carry out their duties under the law, without threats or harassment,” Padilla concluded. “In addition to promptly responding to the questions in this letter, I urge you to follow the Constitution, federal law, the Justice Department Manual, and any DOJ ethics advice before you take any further actions related to the 2026 federal election in Texas.”

This story has been updated with additional information.