Newly Released Texts Allegedly Show Texas State Senator Sending Gross Messages to College Student

On Tuesday, the Dallas Morning News reported that the University of Texas at Austin has shared sexually explicit texts and LinkedIn messages that the school says Texas state Senator Charles Schwertner sent a graduate student. Schwertner was first accused of sexual misconduct with a student in September, in a report by the Austin American-Statesman.

Schwertner’s attorneys have not commented on the texts, but when the allegations were first made public, Schwertner denied sending “any inappropriate texts as alleged.”

The exchange between Schwertner, who aside from his position in the state Senate is an orthopedic surgeon, and the student, who was interested in working in healthcare and politics, reportedly began over LinkedIn in May. It was a “polite and professional back and forth,” the Morning News reports.

Then, in August, Schwertner asked the student for her number and a few hours later, also “invited her to sit in” on a committee meeting.

The student gave him her number, and accepted the invitation. Later that same afternoon, this exchange happened:

At 6:20 p.m. that same day in the LinkedIn message, Schwertner appears to say, “Hope you’re getting my texts I sent you.”

The student responds, “Please stop the inappropriate texts, it is unprofessional.”

Per the Morning News, the texts in question read:

“Sorry. I really just wanted to f—- you.”

“If you’d like to still sit in the audience then by all means come,” the text said referencing the LinkedIn conversation.

“This is Charles”

“Send a pic?”

“I’ll send you one”

“Hello? Want to just use LinkedIn? Or my main cell?”

“It’s me want me to prove?”

“And I have more proof of life ;)”

Back in September, the American-Statesman reported that Schwertner “sent [the student] an image that appeared to be a picture of his genitals that was taken in the shower.” UT has redacted the photos from the exchange, according to the Morning News.

Schwertner is married with three children. As the Morning News notes, he won re-election on November 6.