A Texas decide has blocked former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke and his political motion committee from funding Democratic state lawmakers who left Texas to carry up a Republican-backed redistricting plan that would add 5 GOP congressional seats.
The short-term restraining order marks an early win for Texas Legal professional Common Ken Paxton, who sued O’Rourke’s PAC — Powered by Individuals — for financially supporting Democrats who fled the state final weekend. The Texas Home failed to succeed in a quorum once more on Friday, stopping lawmakers from voting on the brand new congressional maps, as GOP officers float ousting the absent Democrats from workplace or searching for civil arrests.
Tarrant County Choose Megan Fahey’s order blocks Powered by Individuals from utilizing political funds to pay for journey, resort or eating for the handfuls of Texas legislators who stay in Illinois, California and different states. The group can also’t increase cash for these functions.
The order will stay in impact for 2 weeks, until Fahey decides to increase it. She scheduled a listening to for Aug. 19.
Fundraising allegations and lawsuit particulars
Paxton alleges the group engaged in misleading fundraising and bribery by masking journey and lodging bills for the lawmakers, who traveled to Illinois and different blue states to disclaim Republicans a quorum.
The lawsuit claims O’Rourke and Powered by Individuals misled donors by soliciting political contributions that have been allegedly used for private bills, together with personal jet journey and luxurious lodging.
“The Beto Bribe buyouts that have been bankrolling the runaway Democrats have been formally stopped,” Paxton stated in a press release. “Individuals like (O’Rourke) imagine Texas might be purchased. Right this moment, I ended his misleading monetary affect scheme that tried to deceive donors and subvert our constitutional course of. They instructed me to ‘come and take it,’ so I did.”
O’Rourke pushes again with countersuit
O’Rourke responded with a countersuit, accusing Paxton of making an attempt to silence dissent and dismantle one of many nation’s largest voter registration organizations.
“They need to make examples out of those that combat in order that others will not,” O’Rourke stated in a message on X. “Paxton is making an attempt to close down Powered by Individuals, one of many largest voter registration organizations within the nation, as a result of our volunteers combat for voting rights and free elections… the type of work that threatens the maintain that Paxton, Trump, and Abbott have on energy in Texas.”
Powered by Individuals focuses on organizing volunteers in Texas to register voters, mobilize Democratic-leaning voters and help Democratic candidates. O’Rourke additionally pointed to the group’s efforts in the course of the 2021 winter storm, saying volunteers made greater than one million calls to attach seniors to warming facilities and bought practically $1 million in emergency provides.
“Now Paxton’s filed a restraining order to attempt to take us out of the combat,” O’Rourke stated. “He desires to silence me and cease me from main this group. He desires to cease us from preventing Trump’s try and steal the 5 congressional seats he wants to hold on to energy.”
Regardless of the authorized setback, O’Rourke stated he plans to talk at a rally in Fort Price on Saturday.
“I am not going wherever,” he stated.
Separate swimsuit targets Democratic lawmakers
Additionally on Friday, Paxton filed a separate lawsuit in opposition to 13 Democratic lawmakers, asking the Texas Supreme Courtroom to declare their seats vacant for abandoning the state in the course of the particular legislative session.
