Fight over transgender mystery mailers heads to court
The organization featured in millions of transgender rights flyers is now suing to find out who is behind the mass mail campaign.
The Transgender Education Network of Texas, or TENT, has filed a petition asking a Travis County judge to allow them to take oral depositions or written questions before a lawsuit is officially filed. According to the petition, the author of the mailer "co-opted TENT's name, materials (including photographs), branding and website without TENT's knowledge or consent, violating state law."
Form 202, which was filed on Thursday, is a procedural tool typically used to identify unknown defendants.
The filing goes on to say the mailers were "deliberately distributed in a manner calculated to cause maximum harm to TENT and to create confusion and strife among the Texas electorate." The petition "seeks to reveal the person or persons responsible for meddling with Texas elections and smearing TENT's name," as "Texas voters are being deceptively targeted and tricked en masse."
Also, on Friday, the United States Postal Service identified the company whose bulk mail permit was used to ship the flyers.
According to the USPS, the permit is held by Three Z Printing, located in Teutopolis, Illinois, whose website proclaims, "We help you look good on paper." The I-Team contacted the company; as of late Friday afternoon, we had not heard back.
It is not clear what role, if any, Three Z Printing had beyond the use of its permit; owning the permit does not mean the company printed the flyers, just that it allowed the use of its permit so the sender could qualify for discounted postage.
Who that sender is, remains unclear. The company listed on the return address section of the mailer is Texas Transgender Student Union, LLC. Business records show it was formed a month ago using a registered agent service in Sheridan, Wyoming. The registered agent company is associated with more than 300,000 LLCs. Hours after the I-Team visited the office in Sheridan, Northwest Registered Agent said it was cutting ties with the Texas Transgender Student Union.
