Rep. Wesley Hunt reports to police regarding the doxxing of a Cornyn staff member

Texas Senate Candidate Files Police Report Over Personal Information Leak

U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt, a Republican making a bid for the Texas Senate, has filed a police report claiming that a campaign official associated with his opponent shared a 2016 provisional ballot containing sensitive details about Hunt and his family.

The ballot revealed the last four digits of Hunt’s social security number, his driver’s license ID number, and his home address. Matt Makowiak, the communications director for Senator John Cornyn’s re-election campaign, originally posted the unredacted document on his X account last Friday, which was then shared by Cornyn’s campaign before being removed.

According to Hunt’s campaign staff, when law enforcement asked whether he wished to pursue charges, Hunt responded affirmatively.

Harris County Constable Mark Herman’s office has confirmed that they are investigating the matter. Officials from Hunt’s campaign mentioned that they plan to subpoena X to obtain deleted content that featured Hunt’s personal details.

Hunt criticized Makowiak and the Cornyn campaign for “doxxing” his family, emphasizing that actions like this pose real dangers. “The tragic situation involving Savannah Guthrie is a stark reminder of how truly vulnerable our families are,” he stated. “They shouldn’t be in any danger. And yet, that’s exactly what happened to my family.”

He expressed his astonishment over the lack of response from Cornyn following the incident. “Even though they understood how dangerous it was to expose someone’s family, the Cornyn campaign did it,” Hunt asserted. “What happened to my family should never happen to anyone.”

Mackowiak, on the other hand, contended that the documents in question are publicly accessible through public records, asserting that the details could easily be obtained via a records request from the county clerk. He pointed out that the unredacted ballot had also been published by the Daily Mail just a day after its original posting.

The incident has sparked criticism from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused Cornyn’s campaign of supporting individuals who expose private information. Paxton remarked, “I still can’t believe that John Cornyn’s senior staff identified Wesley Hunt’s family last night, posted his Social Security number to X, and then Cornyn defended it.”

Paxton added that exposing Hunt’s family contradicts Cornyn’s campaign narrative about the importance of character. “Character matters, and John didn’t have character. Tonight proved that,” he noted.

Texas Republican General Counsel Rachel Hooper suggested that the release of personal information “should be investigated.” However, legal experts have expressed skepticism regarding whether Makowiak’s actions violate the law, emphasizing that proving intent to harm through such postings can be quite challenging.