Texas House committee on hostile foreign organizations hacked, displays Russian propaganda

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- A panel of state lawmakers was forced to end a committee livestream early Tuesday after the Zoom meeting was hacked, displaying what appeared to be Russian military training videos and offensive slurs under the username "RUSSIAN GOD."

The hack occurred during a field hearing of the House Select Committee on Securing Texas from Hostile Foreign Organizations -- the panel tasked with countering cyberthreats from adversaries like Russia.

"F--- you, to all those connected," a hacker wrote in Russian in the meeting's chat. Other insurgent Zoomers used racist and anti-American usernames.

Committee chairman Cole Hefner, R-Tyler, said the source of the attack was unknown as of 2 p.m. Tuesday.

"This incident underscores the very real cybersecurity threats posed on our state by hostile forces—threats that led to the committee’s formation in the first place. We appreciate your understanding and regret this disruption to an otherwise productive and informative hearing," Hefner said.

The committee was meeting at the University of Texas at Tyler. The agenda included studying "the threat posed by hostile foreign organizations on the Texas economy, securities, and values," and examining the rates of intellectual property theft.

This coverage is ongoing and will be updated as more information becomes available.