Texas Group Accused of ‘Paper Terrorism’

The Republic of Texas, a bizarre organization that claims Texas was illegally annexed by the United States in 1845 and is still a sovereign nation, is waging what officials say is “paper terrorism” against the state’s courts.

Since 1995, the Republic has swamped Texas courts with hundreds if not thousands of bogus liens, state Atty. Gen. Dan Morales said.

A lien is a claim against another person’s property. Legitimate or not, a lien can cause financial and legal trouble for owners trying to sell a property because it generally takes court action to remove a lien.

“It’s clogged up county clerks’ offices and lots of the courts. It’s been used as a form of harassment and intimidation against anyone with whom they have a disagreement,” said Ward Tisdale, a spokesman for Morales.

On Jan. 17, Gov. George W. Bush declared the situation an emergency so that the Legislature could give quick consideration to a bill that would make bogus court filings punishable by up to a $4,000 fine and a year in jail. The bill is awaiting committee action.

“It is time for the state of Texas to shut down the paper terrorism activities of the self-styled Republic of Texas,” Rep. Will Hartnett of Dallas said in introducing the bill. Hartnett said the fraudulent paperwork has cost taxpayers, courts and the state hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Archie Lowe, president of the Republic, denied the organization is waging a paper war. He said the only lien filed by the Republic was brought against the state seeking “to return to the people of Texas their property.”

As for whether individual members of the group have filed liens, Lowe said: “I couldn’t say. There are a lot of patriots out there who are pretty fed up with the way things are going.”

Republic supporters deeply distrust the federal government and resent income taxes and environmental regulations. In recent years, the organization has demanded that Bush leave office and that the IRS leave Texas.

“What we want to do is wake the people up and educate the people that Texas lawfully stands as a nation,” Lowe said.

The use of liens is a tactic also employed by the Freemen in Montana, who surrendered to federal agents last year after an 81-day standoff.

Morales had the Republic and its officials cited for contempt in October, after a state judge ordered the group to stop filing fraudulent documents. A federal judge also warned members to stop.

Morales has instructed court clerks not to accept property liens issued by the Republic’s “courts.” But that’s no easy task.

“The problem is, some of these look official. You are just doing your normal business as a clerk and you might think it was a lien,” Tisdale said.

Lowe said he’s not worried about the Legislature: “They, through actual lawful process, don’t exist with respect to the Republic of Texas.”