Several Republican members of Congress are accusing a liberal political action committee of impersonating a GOP staffer to extract potentially damaging information from elected officials and raise funds for Democrats – with one text exchange that targeted a female lawmaker including antisemitic and sexist language, Fox News Digital has learned.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said she received a text this summer from a person posing as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s chief of staff. Before long, however, the individual launched into personal attacks, denigrating Luna as a “fake” Jew and making lewd comments about her.
Luna says she’s currently facing a different harassment campaign, too, as her re-election bid comes down to its final weeks. She revealed the bizarre details about the opposition research scheme when Fox News Digital inquired about the other allegations.
A person posing as Abbott’s new chief of staff in July attempted to set up a phony phone call between Luna and Abbott regarding Luna’s re-election effort, according to screenshots of a text conversation supplied to Fox News Digital by Luna’s office.
JUST BECAUSE HUNTER BIDEN PLEADED GUILTY DOESN’T MEAN OUR JOB STOPS: REP. ANNA PAULINA LUNA
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna attends a news conference with House and Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol on May 17, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Rep. Luna – Hello, I’m the new [Chief of Staff] to Gov Abbott. May we set up a call for tomorrow? Robert Black,” the first text to Luna on July 18 reads. Robert Black is the name of Abbott’s actual chief of staff, who officially joined the office on July 22, according to a press release from Abbott’s office at the start of July.
Luna responded: “Yes! What time?”
“He wants to talk about how to help you beat Fox,” the supposed Abbott staffer said, while suggesting a time for the alleged call. Luna is facing Democratic opponent Whitney Fox in her re-election battle this year.
“Whitney Fox?” Luna asked, before brushing off concerns over the race.
“I’m always willing to take advice but full transparency I’m in a R + 8 so we’re not super concerned. Did he see a poll or something?” she asked.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna walks to a candidate forum with House Republicans in the Longworth House Office Building on Oct. 11, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“Hearing from Dems she raised a lot and has oppo,” the phony Abbott staffer responded.
Another screenshot from the text exchange shows the Abbott office impersonator asking Luna about her border policies and “what do you want Gov to say on border,” but Luna stopped responding. The person then asked Luna, “You there?,” before launching into a series of personal attacks.
“You are really clever APL. But you’re going to lose. At least you still got your fake t–s,” stated one text.
“Fake smile. Fake life. Fake Jewish person,” the texts continued. “If you were a real Jew, you wouldn’t be texting on the Sabbath.”
ANNA PAULINA LUNA CALLS FOR $10,000 PER DAY FINE ON GARLAND FOR BIDEN-HUR AUDIO TAPE
Luna said she believes the scheme was concocted by a liberal PAC that has targeted fellow lawmakers, including Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert. Boebert told Fox News Digital she set up a time and place to meet with the alleged Abbott staffer when she received similar texts – a meeting that she said could have left her in a “dangerous and compromising situation” if she had actually attended.
Boebert told Fox News Digital that during the 2024 Republican National Convention in July, her staff received text messages from a person posing as Abbott’s chief of staff.
“The phone number used, which had an area code from Austin, Texas, claimed Gov. Abbott wanted to meet with me,” Boebert said. She also accused a liberal PAC of carrying out the scheme, which included the individual sending her office “numerous details and texts, including a room number at a specific hotel where many VIPs were staying” for a meeting.
Rep. Lauren Boebert told Fox News Digital that during the 2024 Republican National Convention in July, her staff received text messages from a person posing as Abbott’s chief of staff. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The meeting was never held, however, as Boebert figured out “the whole thing was a hoax,” but said “if there had been a credible threat waiting for my arrival, this could have been a dangerous and comprising situation for my staff and me.”
“The people involved with this shady organization have a regular pattern of behaving in a mentally deranged manner and have the potential to cause harm, if given the opportunity,” she said. “These sad, obsessed stalkers should be placed on a law enforcement watchlist.”
Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz was also reportedly targeted and had a text exchange with a person he believed worked in Abbott’s office regarding an endorsement during primary season, screenshots of the texts posted by a liberal PAC to X showed.
FLORIDA REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT TEAM UP TO TACKLE STUDENT LOAN DEBT AS BIDEN-HARRIS FORGIVENESS BIDS DERAIL
Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on Nov. 30, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to the PAC and its president in direct messages on X but did not receive a response.
Fox News Digital also called the number that originally texted Luna and left a message inquiring about the matter, but did not receive a call back.
THERE’S NO WAY THAT I THINK BIDEN WILL BE THE NOMINEE FOR THE ELECTION CYCLE: REP. ANNA PAULINA LUNA
The revelation of the scheme against Luna comes as she faces additional harassment in her Florida district. Luna was first elected to Congress in 2022.
Luna on Saturday posted a lengthy statement on social media explaining that supporters of her political opponent, whom she did not name in the post, launched a social media campaign on Friday “to publicly dox, coordinate, and solicit individuals to send threatening packages to my home address.”
“If she is ‘’hiding ‘ ‘, I know where she lives if anyone is interested in sending her a love letter…….something. She dwells riiiiight around the corner,” one message posted to Fox’s campaign Facebook account states, according to Luna.
Luna said she contacted the FBI, local sheriff’s office and police regarding the threatening messages. The sheriff’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that it is investigating the matter. The FBI told Fox Digital when asked about the matter that under DOJ policy, it “can neither confirm nor deny the existence of a specific investigation,” as the agency cannot “comment on complaints or tips we may or may not receive from the public.”
Luna unequivocally denounced all political violence in a comment to Fox Digital, and said the menacing social media messages surfaced after her political opponent labeled her a “threat to democracy.”
Anna Paulina Luna attends a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on Feb. 6, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Political violence should never be tolerated,” Luna said on Sunday. “After labeling me a ‘threat to democracy,’ my opponent has yet to condemn her supporters doxxing as well as calling for threatening packages to be sent to my home. This was all done publicly on her social media.”
Luna went on to cite the July assassination attempt on former President Trump, and on Sunday there was an apparent second attempt on Trump’s life.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“This speaks to a bigger issue,” Luna said of the harassment she’s facing. “The radical left is engaging rhetoric that is getting people hurt. Mind you, this is only a few months after an attempted assassination on President Trump. I am one of the most targeted members of Congress and her supporters were soliciting strangers to send things to my home address (that they were providing). This is not just abhorrent but shameful. I have a baby at home.”
“I will never tolerate this type of behavior and I thank my supporters for not engaging in this violent rhetoric,” Luna added.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
