State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, who authored Texas’ “trigger ban” on abortion, said in a statement on Friday that he has never paid for an abortion. The statement, posted on X, came after Alex Grace — who describes herself as a mother of four, political news curator, and exotic dancer — alleged that the Southlake-based Republican has “funded several abortions for his own personal gain.”
The bombshell allegations were first reported on Friday by Current Revolt, a far-right publication hosted by Substack that has published some statewide reporting scoops and commentary that has referred to COVID and Black Lives Matter as “hoaxes.” Current Revolt claims it is “dedicated to delivering fact-based news and covering a wide range of political events, news, and topics relevant to Texans,” according to its website.
In a video interview, Grace answered questions about what she described as a long-term affair with the married state representative. She said she met Capriglione around 2004 when she was 18 and a young mother and was starting out as an exotic dancer. She said their intimate relationship began to crumble after more than a decade as “certain moves he was making politically” caused her “to question him as a man.”
“He was someone that portrays himself to be so anti-abortion. Yet he has funded several abortions for his own personal gain,” she said. Asked how she knew that, she said, “I think on this one, you’re just going to have to go with my word.” Grace did not specify whom the alleged abortions were for — herself or others.
The Barbed Wire has attempted to contact Capriglione for comment. He has denied the claim in a statement posted to X.
“I have never, nor would I ever, pay for an abortion,” said Capriglione in the statement.
Capriglione, who also serves as Texas House DOGE Chairman, did acknowledge in the same statement — first provided to Texas Tribune’s Renzo Downey — that he “selfishly had an affair” earlier in his marriage but said the remainder of Current Revolt’s story was “categorically false and easily disproven.”
“In holding the wealthy, the powerful, the corporate elites, and the Austin insiders to account, I knew I would face serious blowback,” said Capriglione. “I knew they’d attack me.”
“Unfortunately, this is the state of our world, and the price of serving in government.”
The reporter and publisher of Current Revolt, Tony Ortiz, was at Michael Quinn Sullivan’s Texas Scorecard — a publication launched by conservative advocacy group Empower Texans in 2015 — before setting up Current Revolt in 2020.
“Giovanni has a 100% pro-life voting record and will protect innocent life at all costs,” according to the representative’s website. “Giovanni voted to defund Planned Parenthood and authored the Abortion Trigger Ban Bill, which banned abortion in Texas when Roe v. Wade was overturned.”
Texas’ “trigger ban,” House Bill 1280, took effect soon after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, making providing an abortion a felony punishable by up to life in prison, license revocation, and a $100,000 fine. Since then, researchers and reporters have found that infant and maternal mortality rates have increased, as have rates of sepsis and STDs.
Grace described the relationship she said she had with Capriglione as private and consensual. She said he mentored and encouraged her — and that she trusted him. But after some of his intimate fantasies grew darker, she said she began to feel he was being dishonest in his public persona and political actions.
“The reason for my wanting to expose this now is because he is no longer in control of influencing only the lives of his friends and family, but he now has the power to influence the lives of so many people and potentially in a massively negative way,” she said.
“To continue the lies to the masses, this is what I was discontent with,” she continued. “If you are using abortions for your personal gain, if you are using women for your personal gain, why announce to the world that this isn’t who you are?”
In addition to the interview with Current Revolt, Grace — who has 95,000 followers on a personal TikTok account, posted a video about the story, saying: “Let the judgement begin.”
“I caution you against trying to ruin this man’s career,” Capriglione’s attorney Rogge Dunn said, according to a report two days earlier in the longtime Texas Capitol insider publication Quorum Report. “Well-respected and well-funded news organizations …paid $16 million to settle a defamation lawsuit.”
“Representative Capriglione is not looking for a fight, but I can assure you he will not stand by idly and have you or anyone else spread falsehoods about him and try to trash his good reputation, which he spent years to build – and will vigorously defend,” Dunn reportedly said.
The threats — and widespread speculation about what story might be coming — followed Capriglione’s announcement on Tuesday that he would not be seeking re-election to Texas House District 98. (Capriglione had reportedly said in June he would seek reelection for the District 98 seat.) Capriglione has another year and a half left in his seventh term, reported the Texas Tribune.
“After much reflection, prayer, and conversation with my family, I’ve decided that I will not seek re-election to the Texas House of Representatives,” Capriglione posted on Facebook.
“Serving you in the Texas Legislature has been one of the great honors of my life,” he continued. “When I first ran, I had a clear purpose: go down to Austin, work hard, and fight for the principles and values that make Texas strong. Over the years, I’ve done exactly that. And while I’ve given this work everything I have, I also feel in my heart that I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. It’s time for a new chapter.”
“Over the years, we’ve accomplished things that many once thought impossible,” he continued. “I led the fight to pass the Human Life Protection Act, which ensured that Texas would stand for life in the post-Roe era.”
“Throughout this journey, I’ve been blessed with more support than I ever could have imagined. First and foremost, I owe everything to my wife, Elisa. She gave me the courage to run that very first time and has stood by me through every challenge and every long night. Her strength, grace, and unwavering belief in me made it all possible. I also want to thank our three daughters, who gave up so much time with their dad so that I could serve. I’ve always carried them in my heart on the House floor, fighting to ensure that they grow up in a state that protects their freedoms, their dreams, and their future.”
“This has been a journey of faith, service, and relentless effort. I don’t yet know what the future holds, but I trust that God is still writing my story. For now, I look forward to spending more time with my family, returning to life back home, and continuing to serve in whatever way I can, just not in this same role.”
State Rep. Briscoe Cain reportedly called for Capriglione’s resignation on Friday shortly after the story began circulating online.
Several powerful conservative Texans seemed to know the news was coming days before it was published, including former state Sen. Konni Burton, who now runs The Texan news outlet.
“These elected officials who proclaim faith & family values, but then break their most sacred covenants with God & their families are disgusting,” Burton posted to X on Friday. “Their families deserve better and so does the R party. Deciding not to run again is the correct move. Get right with God & your family.”
“The allegations made against Giovanni Capriglione are deeply disturbing and chronicle a pattern of behavior incompatible with the values of the Republican Party,” Bo French, the embattled chair of the Tarrant County GOP also said in a post on X on Friday. (French, for the unaware, recently came under national scrutiny for posting a poll online asking his followers whether Jews or Muslims posed a bigger threat to the United States.) “If Capriglione has an ounce of sense or shame he will resign from the Texas House before he is thrown out.”
And though Capriglione has already declared he won’t run for reelection, he also appeared to be positioning himself for a legal fight.
“I’m not above scrutiny, even for years-ago events that involved only my private life, not my public duties,” Capriglione said in his statement on Friday. But going forward, there are two things I want to make very clear: Lying and defaming me, twisting and manipulating old events for political purposes, is wrong, and I will be pursuing my legal remedies.”
“I’ve learned that fear of false personal attacks must not deter us from doing our jobs,” he continued. “Thank you for the opportunity to serve, and God Bless Texas!”