Police were called last year to the home of Abraham George 鈥� a frontrunner to lead the Republican Party of Texas 鈥� as he was leaving with a loaded gun to confront a man he believed was having an affair with his wife.
George, 44, was not arrested or charged, and officers reported that they found no injuries or property damage at the scene.
He did not respond to a request for comment Monday afternoon, but hours after The Texas Tribune and the right-wing website Current Revolt reported on the incident, George and his wife released a statement in which they said "activist media outlets and political opponents have decided to smear our family."
"Like every family, we've had misunderstandings and disputes," George said in a statement. "However, we have never stopped loving each other and our marriage is stronger than ever. This desperate attack will not change anything."
George is one of three current candidates to replace outgoing Texas GOP Chair , who that he would not seek reelection at this year鈥檚 Republican state convention. Minutes after Rinaldi said he would step down, George announced his own candidacy 鈥� which was then immediately endorsed by Rinaldi, Attorney General Ken Paxton and other .
An incident report obtained by The Texas Tribune shows that on March 11, 2023, police were dispatched to George鈥檚 home in Parker, Collin County for a 鈥渄omestic disturbance鈥� that was called in by one of his young children.
George had accused his wife of having an affair with someone from their church, according to the report, prompting a fight and attempts by George鈥檚 family to keep him in their home.
Police arrived just as George was 鈥渁ttempting to leave鈥� the residence with a 鈥渓oaded and chambered鈥� handgun in his car door, according to the incident report. Police said George was 鈥渂reathing heavily鈥� and 鈥渁ppeared upset鈥� when they arrived.
George told the officers that he was attempting to leave to 鈥渕ake contact鈥� with the man from their church, police said. His wife told officers that George did not verbally threaten anyone or use the handgun in a 鈥渢hreatening manner,鈥� though police said that the couple鈥檚 statements were inarticulate and that they both 鈥渢old us information that they later contradicted.鈥�
鈥淚 do not believe either party to be completely truthful with us, and I suspect [George鈥檚 wife] to be afraid that [George] might hurt someone or take unsafe action,鈥� one officer wrote. 鈥淗owever, I did not observe any injuries or get articulable information from either party to confirm this suspicion.鈥�
George eventually agreed to leave the home and stay at a hotel, but 鈥渄emanded鈥� that he get his handgun back 鈥� a request that his wife 鈥渁damantly鈥� opposed, according to officers.
His wife 鈥渨as very reluctant to explain why but hinted that Abraham might use the weapon to go to Denton to hurt the person,鈥� one officer wrote. 鈥淪pecifically, she said, 'I don't know what he is going to do with it.鈥�"
George鈥檚 campaign to lead the Texas GOP comes amid an ongoing between the party鈥檚 g and more moderate, but still deeply conservative, faction. After years of simmering, that conflict exploded last year after the impeachment and eventual acquittal of Paxton, a key ally of the state鈥檚 far right and its, West Texas oil billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks.
Despite a scandal over their political network鈥檚 , Wilks and Dunn saw major during this month鈥檚 GOP primaries. George was among a small group of candidates who lost in their primaries despite support from Dunn and Wilks 鈥� he received about in support from the billionaires, but lost to Rep. Candy Noble, R-Lucas, by 5 percentage points.
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Rinaldi is also a close ally of the billionaires, and his decision not to seek reelection has set up the latest in a long-running series of proxy battles within the party. George, who led the Collin County GOP until last year, currently faces two other candidates for the chairmanship: Texas GOP Vice Chair Dana Myers, and San Antonio businessman Weston Martinez.
Myers in January, criticizing the party鈥檚 鈥渄isarray鈥� and 鈥渋nternal divisions.鈥� She was among a group of Texas GOP executive committee members who called for the party to cut ties with groups funded by Dunn and Wilks after the then-leader of their most important political action committee, Defend Texas Liberty, was white supremacist and Nick Fuentes in October.
Rinaldi was also seen outside the one-story office building while Fuentes was inside, though he denied knowing Fuentes was there and condemned him. Rinaldi then spent the next three months of Defend Texas Liberty 鈥� while as an attorney for Wilks.
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