Texas Gov. Greg Abbott filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to remove one of the state's House Democratic leaders, Rep. Gene Wu, calling him "the ringleader" of the dozens of Democratic lawmakers who left the state in an effort to block a redistricting vote.

The chair of the Democratic Caucus in Texas' House of Representatives called Governor Abbott's move "purely insanity."

The lawsuit filed with the Texas Supreme Court argues that Rep. Gene Wu violated the state Constitution and that his absence amounted to an abandonment of office.