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The Texas Freedom Caucus has sent a letter to the law firm Sidley Austin LLP.
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The letter said that legislation will be introduced to ban law firms from paying for abortion trips.
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“Behave accordingly,” the letter warned.
The Texas Freedom Caucus, a legislative caucus in the Texas House of Representatives, sent a threatening letter to a law firm with offices in Dallas and Houston that planned to reimburse travel expenses for workers seeking an abortion.
In the letter, addressed to Sidley Austin LLP, the 11 representatives of the caucus wrote that legislation will be introduced to impose civil and criminal penalties on law firms that pay for abortion or abortion trips.
“We are writing to inform you of the consequences you and your colleagues will experience for these actions,” the message reads.
The proposed legislation prohibits any employer in the state from paying for elective abortions or from covering abortion-related costs, regardless of where the abortion takes place. Under these lawmakers, individuals may sue anyone who pays for an elective abortion performed on a Texas resident.
If passed, The State Bar of Texas will suspend any attorney who has violated abortion laws.
The Texas Freedom Caucus said Sidley had aided or encouraged drug-induced abortions that violated the Texas Heartbeat Act, a law that prohibits abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. According to the letter, a process is already underway to identify the employees who may have been involved.
“To the extent that Sidley facilitates abortions performed in violation of Section 4512.1, it exposes itself and each of its partners to criminal prosecution and exclusion.”
According to an email viewed by Bloomberg Law, Sidley said it would cover abortions and related travel expenses for workers in states where restrictions come into effect.
On June 24, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a 1973 legal precedent that made abortion legal across the US.
Last year, Texas state Senate Bill 8 banned abortion around six weeks of pregnancy, even in cases of rape and incest. The latest ruling will lead to criminal penalties for those performing or assisting abortions at all stages of pregnancy.
The letter was endorsed by the 11 conservative Texas lawmakers and concluded, “Behave accordingly.”
Sidley Austin LLP and The Texas Freedom Caucus did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
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