Conservative paper runs ex-FBI agent's scathing rebuke of John Cornyn as he backs Dem

Former Dallas Field Office FBI Special Agent Matthew DeSarno endorsed Democratic state Rep. James Talarico for Senate in Texas in an op-ed for the conservative-leaning Dallas Morning News published on Monday, during which he also took swipes at MAGA Attorney General Ken Paxton and Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.

Cornyn is currently in a fight for his political life as he navigates a fiery primary runoff with Paxton, who has gained a commanding lead in polls, as President Donald Trump, who has worked with both of them, chooses not to get involved. Meanwhile, Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian and former teacher, has managed to build a passionate following and a competitive position in the most recent polls, hoping to break a three-decade losing streak for the Democratic Party in Texas.

"Ken Paxton is unfit for the United States Senate. The Texas attorney general is ethically compromised, legally entangled and openly opportunistic," wrote DeSarno. However, he continued, "the harder truth is this: Sen. John Cornyn is not being challenged because he stood up to President Donald Trump. He is being challenged because he didn’t."

Cornyn used to project an image of "competence and restraint," wrote DeSarno. "That image carried weight because people believed that when it mattered, Cornyn would act. When it mattered, he didn’t."

"When the Constitution was tested, Cornyn stayed quiet. When the party drifted toward grievance and personal loyalty, Cornyn adjusted instead of confronting it. When nominees appeared before the committees he serves, who were plainly unqualified or openly partisan, Cornyn allowed the process to move forward as if norms still applied," wrote DeSarno.

Perhaps most damningly, DeSarno wrote, was that he gave urgent warnings to Cornyn's office that Kash Patel was unqualified to lead the FBI, and Cornyn didn't listen, instead voting for him to appease Trump. Now, Patel is himself embroiled in scandal.

"This isn’t about party. It’s about character," wrote DeSarno. "Texas has never been about blind loyalty or loud grievance. At its best, Texas is about independence, accountability and the quiet expectation that a person’s word means something. It’s about standing your ground when it matters — not shifting with the moment or chasing power at any cost."

Cornyn does not stand for any of that, DeSarno concluded.

"There is a candidate in this race who has consistently demonstrated a commitment to integrity, service and the courage to stand on principle — even when it is not politically convenient," he wrote. "I will cast my vote based on character. And for Texans who believe our leaders should reflect the best of who we are, the clear choice is Democratic state Rep. James Talarico."