AUSTIN (KXAN) — An affidavit obtained by KXAN revealed more details about the Texas Capitol being shut down on Aug. 19, which would result in a Tennessee man being arrested on Sept. 9.
According to the affidavit, 41-year-old Frank Andrew Waszut made a terroristic threat against Republican lawmakers after state lawmaker Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, refused to sign a permission slip allowing DPS to follow her movements after breaking quorum, resulting in her being forced to stay on the Texas House floor overnight.
The Texas Department of Public Safety was made aware of the threat after someone reported a threatening post from Waszut’s TikTok account, according to the court document.
In the TikTok video, Waszut said, “This is an act of terrorism; anyone trying to keep Nicole Collier from leaving the state house is a terrorist. They are an enemy of the state.”
The affidavit said it was able to identify Waszut through his TikTok photos being similar to a Facebook page that belonged to him. The profile indicated that Waszut lived in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Due to Waszut having over 12,000 followers across his social media accounts, DPS determined there was possibly an immediate threat and, as a result, evacuated the Texas Capitol, according to the affidavit.
The evacuation had occurred just before a protest was planned outside of the House chamber in support of Collier’s stay at the Texas Capitol.
Collier and Texas House Minority Leader Rep. Gene Wu issued a statement at the time of the incident.
“We are grateful for the Texas Department of Public Safety troopers whose swift and professional response to today’s security threat ensured that all representatives, staff, and members of the public were safe. Violence and threats have no place in our democratic process, and we unequivocally condemn any threats against public servants or law enforcement, regardless of political differences.”
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