{"id":130500,"date":"2025-08-09T01:30:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T01:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/130500\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T01:30:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T01:30:17","slug":"judge-blocks-beto-orourke-from-funding-texas-democrats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/130500\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge blocks Beto O\u2019Rourke from funding Texas Democrats"},"content":{"rendered":"

Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our AI policy<\/a>, and give us feedback<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sign up for The Brief<\/a>, The Texas Tribune\u2019s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.\n<\/p>\n

Former U.S. Rep. Beto O\u2019Rourke cannot financially support Texas Democrats who left the state to delay passage of a new congressional map, a Tarrant County judge ruled Friday evening.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Rourke and his political group, Powered by People, were sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Friday afternoon. Paxton argued that the group was deceptively fundraising for and illegally helping support Texas Democrats as they fanned out to Illinois, Massachusetts and New York to deny the House the headcount needed to pass legislation.<\/p>\n

Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey granted Paxton\u2019s request for a temporary injunction, barring O\u2019Rourke and Powered by People from fundraising for the Democrats or spending money to cover their expenses. The order came less than four hours after Paxton\u2019s office filed the petition.<\/p>\n

Fahey, a Republican, was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2019 and has twice been reelected to the bench.<\/p>\n

In her ruling, Fahey agreed with Paxton\u2019s contention that Powered by People engaged in false, misleading or deceptive fundraising practices, and by distributing funds to Texas Democrats, writing in the ruling that the group either \u201cdirectly violates or causes Texas Democratic Legislators\u201d to violate state law and House procedures.<\/p>\n

The group cannot use political funds to pay for travel or accommodations for \u201cunexcused Texas legislators during any special legislative session called by the Texas Governor as consideration for a violation of such legislators\u2019 Constitutional duties.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Rourke filed his own lawsuit against Paxton Friday in El Paso district court. He alleged that the attorney general was engaging in a \u201cfishing expedition, constitutional rights be damned,\u201d and asked the judge to block Paxton\u2019s investigation into the organization\u2019s practices.<\/p>\n

In a statement responding to the injunction, O\u2019Rourke said Paxton was trying to \u201cmake examples out of those who fight so that others won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPaxton is trying to shut down Powered by People, one of the largest voter registration organizations in the country, because our volunteers fight for voting rights and free elections, the kind of work that threatens the hold that Paxton, [President Donald] Trump and Abbott have on power in Texas,\u201d O\u2019Rourke said.<\/p>\n

Paxton responded on social media: \u201cCry more, lib.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lawsuit against O\u2019Rourke and his group is part of a larger effort to drag Democratic lawmakers back to Texas. President Donald Trump demanded that Texas redraw its congressional map to yield five additional seats to shore up the GOP\u2019s slim majority in the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterms. With few tools to stop the map\u2019s passage through the Republican-dominated Legislature, Democrats called on their one failsafe, leaving the state to deny quorum, or the minimum number of members required for the chamber to function.<\/p>\n

Typically, the majority party issues arrest warrants for the absentee members \u2014 which can only be enforced within state lines \u2014 and waits until quorum is restored. But this time, Republicans have gone on the offensive, filing lawsuits to cut off financial support; asking Illinois courts to enforce Texas\u2019 civil warrants; investigating members and donors for bribery; and, in an unprecedented move, asking the Texas Supreme Court to expel lawmakers who left.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Beto Bribe buyouts that were bankrolling the runaway Democrats have been officially stopped,\u201d Paxton said in a statement. \u201cToday, I stopped his deceptive financial influence scheme that attempted to deceive donors and subvert our constitutional process. They told me to \u2018come and take it,\u2019 so I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shape the future of Texas at the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival<\/a><\/strong>, happening Nov. 13\u201315 in downtown Austin! We bring together Texas\u2019 most inspiring thinkers, leaders and innovators to discuss the issues that matter to you. Get tickets now<\/a> and join us this November.<\/p>\n


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