The Honorable Dennis Paul
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, Texas 78768
Representative Paul,
As you know I live a block from you in the Bay Knoll subdivision. I am sorry to hear about the passing of your friend and State Republican Executive Committee Member, Scott Apley, from COVID. He leaves behind a wife, who is also COVID positive, and an infant child. Unfortunately you and your party are responsible for his death and you should ask for forgiveness next Sunday at St. Bernadettes.
Your party has failed Mr Apley by allowing misinformation to be spread by your members. You party has failed over 53,000 families in the state by not taking this pandemic seriously. You allowed members of your party, “conservative” leaders in the community, and elected officials, such as Mr. Apley to mock science, downplay the severity of the virus, spread rumors, and fight every move by every elected official to stop this deadly virus in its track. You, personally failed Mr. Apley.
As a former member of the State Democratic Executive Committee I know you had the opportunity to pull aside Mr. Apley, or simply call him to demand that he stop spreading false information. If my leadership had pulled me aside to address my behavior I would have listened. I would have complied. Mr. Apley would have listened to you. Members of your party would have listened to you and Greg Abbott, but both of you did not have the courage to buck Donald Trump and simply followed his deathly lead. You had the opportunity to lead. You had the opportunity to stop this virus from spreading in your own party but you failed as an elected official, as a Texan, and as a human being. As a result, a wife has lost her husband, and an infant will grow up without a father.
The death of your friend is on your hands. Instead of offering worthless thoughts and prayers you should offer an apology to Mr. Apley’s family and to the 50,000+ families who have lost their lives because of your cowardness. I am truly ashamed of you.
May God forgive you.
John R. Cobarruvias
Bay Area Houston 
[…] He might also talk to teachers who courageously stepped up to the task of teaching remotely and who were concerned about the health of their own families as well as kids in school during a devastating pandemic that took the lives of over 800 Texas teachers and 1 million Americans. COVID also took the life of Lauzon’s predecessor on the Republican State Executive Committee, David Apley. […]