A company that transmitted messages referencing materials for LGBTQ+ youth which caused intense backlash across Texas said in a deposition that it sent the messages on behalf of a national Republican caucus fund.

The “Republican Women Caucus Fund” and an individual named John Braun were the senders of the texts, according to a deposition from messaging company Infobip that a Travis County judge ordered be made non-confidential on Oct. 29. No information about Braun was provided in the deposition beyond his name.

A spokesperson for the Republican Women’s Caucus Fund said in a statement shortly after the deposition was made non-confidential that the group had “absolutely no involvement” in sending the texts or similar mailers that were sent to Texas homes.

“We did not authorize, fund, direct, coordinate, or participate in these activities in any capacity,” the spokesperson said. “We categorically reject these false allegations and are pursuing all available legal remedies to protect our organization and hold those responsible accountable.”

A separate statement on Nov. 1 from Steve Roberts, a lawyer representing the caucus fund, said it was not clear why Infobip named their group in the deposition, but that they have never had a contractual relationship with the messaging company.

The deposition and the information ruled non-confidential was shared with The Texas Tribune by the Transgender Education Network of Texas, also known as TENT, which petitioned the judge to require Infobip to reveal the identity of their client.

The texts sent across Texas by Infobip starting Oct. 12 linked to resources on TENT’s website and advertised guides on “bathrooms and beyond for trans kids at school” and answers to questions about gender-affirming care in Texas. TENT received immediate backlash for the texts, the group said, including threats of violence.

Days after the texts were sent, mailers from the Texas Transgender Student Union began arriving in mailboxes across the state, addressed to the “students” of the households they were sent to. Similar to the texts, the mailers repeatedly reference TENT despite the group having no affiliation with the sender.

The student union group that sent the mailer was registered in Wyoming in early September, business records show.

TENT filed a petition in Travis County court asking District Judge Jan Soifer to order depositions for this week that would reveal the identity of the texts’ and mailers’ senders. TENT said it felt the texts and mailers, sent right before early voting in the midterm elections, were designed to agitate voters and cause reputational harm to their organization.

Soifer’s order came late Tuesday amid opposition from Chris Hilton, the Wyoming group’s lawyer. Hilton previously worked in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office and was part of Paxton’s defense team during his 2023 impeachment trial. Judd Stone, a former solicitor general for Paxton who similarly assisted his impeachment defense, has also represented the Wyoming group in the case.

It is currently unclear whether the person or group responsible for the texts were involved in sending the mailers. The deposition from Infobip said it had no knowledge of maintaining a business relationship with the Wyoming group that sent them.

On Oct. 30, the Texas Supreme Court blocked a second deposition Soifer ordered for the Wyoming group. After the court’s action, Mimi Marziani, a lawyer for TENT, said that there is currently no evidence linking the texts and mailers to the same sender, although the group believes they were a coordinated effort.

The Nov. 1 statement from Roberts on behalf of the caucus fund also denied any involvement in sending the mailers.

TENT is not alone in seeking the origin of the mailers and texts. State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, asked Paxton’s office to investigate who sent the materials in two separate letters after the texts and mailers were received across Texas.

West Texas District Attorney Sarah Stogner opened a criminal investigation into the mailers last week for potential forgery, and said she was worried they were sent to influence the election currently underway.

Disclosure: Jan Soifer and Patrick O’Connell has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune within the past five years. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in our journalism. Find a complete list of them and more information about our financial and disclosure policies here.