A Texas judge on Friday ruled against former gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke and his nonprofit, which has been openly funding and coordinating with absent Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to block Republican-backed legislation, including a proposed redraw of the state’s congressional maps.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has pledged to take “aggressive” legal action against the lawmakers and their financial supporters after they defied the House speaker’s Friday deadline to return to Austin. The Texas House—made up of 88 Republicans and 62 Democrats—cannot vote on the redistricting plan unless two-thirds of its members are present.
In a press release, Paxton announced that a criminal investigation has been launched into O’Rourke’s “radical” organization, Powered by People. The release cites “unlawful activity, including potentially operating an illegal financial influence scheme to bribe runaway Democrats who fled Texas to break quorum.”
Paxton’s office, citing publicly available reports, noted that Powered by People is among the organizations providing financial support to the absent Democrats. According to ABC News, many of the lawmakers have been staying in hotels paid for by left-wing activist groups, including Powered by People.
On Friday, Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey issued a temporary restraining order against O’Rourke and Powered by People over alleged “unlawful fundraising practices” connected to their support of the absent lawmakers. The funding in question covers air travel, logistics, lodging, and the substantial fines the lawmakers have incurred as a result of their absence.
“Defendants have and will continue to engage in unlawful fundraising practices and utilization of political funds in a manner that either directly violates or causes Texas Democratic Legislators to violate [the law],” Fahey wrote in her Friday evening ruling. “Consumer have and continue to suffer irreparable harm through these unlawful acts because they are making political contributions that are being used to fund personal expenses and violate state law.”
“Powered by People, a voter registration and mobilization group, has been donating to the Texas House Democratic Caucus — not members directly, or for any line-item expense — to help cover upfront costs for the group, such as lodging and transportation,” a spokesperson for O’Rourke’s group told the outlet.
