Bomb threat prompts evacuation at Chicago hotel where some Texas Democrats are staying

Some of the Texas Democrats who left the state in protest of a redistricting bill were temporarily evacuated Wednesday from their Chicago-area hotel after a bomb threat, according to police and lawmakers. 

The hotel is in St. Charles, Illinois, west of Chicago. The St. Charles Police Department said first responders arrived at the hotel around 7:15 a.m. They “conducted a thorough search and no device was found,” police said.

“In response to the threat, 400 people were immediately evacuated and the area was secured as bomb squad units conducted their investigation,” the department said in a statement. “Following clearance from authorities, all guests and staff have safely returned to the premises.”

State Rep. Ann Johnson in a statement that “a bomb threat forced us to evacuate our hotel” early Wednesday morning. “Thankfully, no one was harmed,” she added.

The House Democratic caucus confirmed that a threat had been made, as did Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Pritzker said in a statement that “threats of violence will be investigated and those responsible will be held accountable” and that he had instructed Illinois state police to investigate.

More than 50 Texas House Democrats left the state Sunday to prevent a quorum in the state House of Representatives to move forward on a bill that would set new congressional districts. Texas Republicans had taken up a rare mid-decade redistricting after President Trump insisted that the state’s maps could be redrawn to give the GOP more of an edge. Texas currently has 38 representatives in Congress, comprised of 23 Republicans and 15 Democrats. The new maps unveiled by Texas Republicans could net the GOP up to five more seats.

As the week has gone on, Texas Republicans have amped up their efforts to get the Democrats to return to give them the numbers necessary for a quorum. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday filed a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court to remove state Rep. Gene Wu from office, calling him the “ringleader” of the quorum break.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, meanwhile, said he would ask a judge to declare the seats vacant if the Democrats did not return by Friday. 

Abbott had previously called for civil arrests for the Democrats, saying he had asked the Texas Department of Public Safety to bring them back so they could be present for the vote. But the Texas Department of Public Safety does not have jurisdiction out of state, leading U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, whom Paxton has challenged in the GOP primary, to write a letter to the FBI asking the agency to intervene.

Mr. Trump said Tuesday that the FBI “may have to” get involved.