Texas GOP official urged to resign over George Floyd social media post

Associated Press
Thursday, June 4, 2020 5:52 p.m. | Thursday, June 4, 2020 5:52 p.m.

Two men pass a boarded up business with a message and mural Thursday in San Antonio referring to the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day.

SAN ANTONIO — The GOP chairwoman of one of Texas’ largest counties faced widespread pressure from her party to resign Thursday for floating a conspiracy theory on social media suggesting that George Floyd’s death was staged.

Cynthia Brehm is head of the Bexar County Republican Party in San Antonio. She also drew attention and condemnation last month for suggesting the coronavirus pandemic was a hoax intended to hurt President Donald Trump.

Top Texas Republicans are calling on Bexar County GOP Chair Cynthia Brehm to resign post after spreading conspiracy theory that George Floyd's death was 'staged.' https://t.co/JE5d3W3jJD

— KSAT 12 (@ksatnews) June 4, 2020

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called on her to step down after a San Antonio Express-News columnist Wednesday tweeted an image of Brehm suggesting in a Facebook post that Floyd’s death was staged. The post has since been deleted.

“The comments are disgusting and have no place in the Republican Party or in public discourse,” Abbott spokesman said John Wittman said.

Cynthia Brehm must resign now, today. There is no excuse for this outrageous,ignorant racist message made worse by using her position as a local party leader to spread it. It does not reflect the thinking of Bexar GOP or Republicans anywhere. https://t.co/p570WuAHIJ #txlege

— Dan Patrick (@DanPatrick) June 4, 2020

Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas also called on her to resign, as did Texas Republican Party Chairman James Dickey.

Brehm has not publicly addressed calls for her resignation and did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Floyd, who was black and handcuffed, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer used his knee to pin down Floyd’s neck for several minutes as Floyd pleaded for air and eventually stopped moving. The officer has been charged with murder and three others who took part in Floyd’s arrest face lesser counts.

Floyd’s funeral will be held next week in Houston, where he grew up.