A Texas judge blocked former Texas Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke from supporting Democratic Texas lawmakers who fled the state to deprive Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) of his needed quorum to pass a redistricting plan.
On Friday afternoon, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued O’Rourke and his political group, Powered by People, alleging they engaged in false, misleading, or deceptive fundraising practices to illegally raise money for the lawmakers holed up in New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Hours later, Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey issued a temporary injunction against O’Rourke and his group, barring them from financially aiding the lawmakers.
In her ruling, Fahey agreed with Paxton’s argument, saying O’Rourke and Powered by People’s moves “directly violate or cause Texas Democratic Legislators” to violate state law and Texas House procedures.
Powered by People was forbidden from using political funds to cover travel or accommodations for “unexcused Texas legislators during any special legislative session called by the Texas Governor as consideration for a violation of such legislators’ Constitutional duties.”
Responding to the decision on X, O’Rourke didn’t mention the effort to financially aid the fugitive lawmakers, instead implying that the legal move was an effort to undercut his organization’s humanitarian efforts, such as taking up shifts at food banks.
“Now, Paxton’s filed a restraining order to try to take us out of the fight. He wants to silence me and stop me from leading this organization. He wants to stop us from fighting Trump’s attempt to steal the five congressional seats he needs to hang on to power,” O’Rourke posted.
“But I’m not going anywhere. I plan on speaking at our rally to stop the power grab in Fort Worth tomorrow afternoon,” he added.
Paxton responded with gleeful mockery.
“Cry more, lib,” he said, quoting O’Rourke’s post on X. “You lost in court because you’re breaking the law and deceiving Texans. We absolutely will make an example out of law breakers.”
In his first post announcing the victory, Paxton boasted about defeating the former House Democrat in court.
“We secured a major victory, stopping runaway Democrats from taking ‘Beto Bribes’ and preventing deceptive fundraising. They told me to ‘come and take it,’ so I did,” Paxton said.
CALIFORNIA CHARGES FORWARD WITH COUNTER-PLAN TO TEXAS REDISTRICTING: ‘THEY DREW FIRST BLOOD’
Texas became the center of a national fight over redistricting after state Republicans unveiled a map that would strip the Democrats of five congressional seats. Over fifty Democrats fled the state to strip Abbott of the quorum needed to enact the measure. The Texas House voted 85-6 to issue arrest warrants for the lawmakers, though they can only be arrested within Texas’s borders.
Texas is now taking aggressive moves to force the lawmakers’ return, cutting off their financial support and attempting to get other states to extradite them.