Texas Scorecard by Erin Anderson February 11, 2026
The Center for American Liberty and Citizens Defending Freedom-USA joined eight other First Amendment advocates asking the state’s high court to preserve protections provided by the Texas Citizens Participation Act.Two more national advocacy groups are urging the Texas Supreme Court to review a key case focused on protecting citizens’ rights to exercise political free speech that criticizes elected officials.
The Center for American Liberty and Citizens Defending Freedom-USA have joined a coalition of First Amendment advocates in filing amicus briefs arguing that the Court should weigh in on the case in order to preserve free speech protections for the public and press provided by the Texas Citizens Participation Act.
The case, Frazier v. Chabot, pits disgraced former State Rep. Frederick Frazier against his 2022 Republican primary rival Paul Chabot over a website Chabot created that was deemed “defamatory” to Frazier.
Chabot’s attorney, Tony McDonald, described Frazier’s complaint as a “quintessential SLAPP suit.”
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation are filed to intimidate and silence citizens exercising their First Amendment rights to criticize politicians.
State lawmakers passed the Texas Citizens Participation Act in 2011 to protect against such suits.
Frazier’s attorney, Christopher Kratochvil, argued that Chabot’s statements about Frazier being “convicted” of crimes and “dishonorably discharged” from the Dallas Police Department were not protected by the TCPA, even though they were “once true,” because “things changed.”
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/more-free-speech-advocates-urge-review-of-key-texas-case/
