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Another FEC report has come and gone, and national Republicans continued to pad the coffers of TX-15 Republican Monica De La Cruz amid allegations of “cruel and aggressive” treatment of her stepdaughter. Now, as she enters the general election with plenty of baggage as the Republican nominee, De La Cruz’s backers must say why they have refused to denounce the disturbing allegations against her.
In November of 2021, court documents and investigative reporting from the Washington Post painted a disturbing picture: De La Cruz allegedly had been “cruel and aggressive” toward her stepdaughter, including “verbal abuse and pinching the child to stop her from crying.”
Hostile text conversations submitted to the court revealed that De La Cruz used “vulgar” and “disturbing” language about her stepdaughter, and allegedly “said she would divorce [her husband] if he brought the child, who has at times been hospitalized, back to live at their home.” In the wake of these allegations, a Texas judge ruled that “De La Cruz must continue living away from her family home until after the March 1 primary.”
But as details about De La Cruz’s treatment of a minor in her care continued to emerge, her national Republican backers stayed silent. According to the latest FEC report, national Republicans have continued to pump thousands of dollars into De La Cruz’s campaign via their PACs and campaigns, but refused to condemn her behavior, including:
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Sen. Tim Scott ($5,000)
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Rep. Lauren Boebert ($2,900)
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Rep. Vern Buchanan ($2,000)
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Rep. Carol Miller ($1,000)
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Rep. Debbie Lesko ($1,000)
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Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart ($1,000)
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Rep. Brian Babin ($1,000)
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Rep. Jake LaTurner ($1,000)
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Rep. Lloyd Smucker ($1,000)
“Monica De La Cruz will have to answer for these disturbing allegations from now until Election Day,” said DCCC spokesperson Monica Robinson. “By staying silent about De La Cruz’s alleged ‘cruel and aggressive’ treatment of a child in her care, national Republicans have tacitly endorsed that this is the kind of person who should represent South Texans in Congress. Voters deserve better.”
Monica De La Cruz’s new financial backers join Republican House leadership Kevin McCarthy ($5,000), Elise Stefanik ($5,000), Steve Scalise ($7,000), and NRCC Chairman Tom Emmer ($2,500). In November, Washington Post reported that a “spokesperson for McCarthy did not respond to a request for comment, and a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Campaign declined to comment” on the allegations.
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