Texas AG Paxton Asks Court to Jail Beto O’Rourke for Violating Court Order in Democrat Fundraising Scheme
The filing highlights O’Rourke's "repeated statements disparaging this Court’s TRO and announcing his intent to continue violating the order."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton escalated his crackdown on unlawful political maneuvers by filing an emergency motion today, urging a Tarrant County judge to hold Beto O’Rourke in contempt and jail him for flagrantly violating a court order tied to fundraising for absentee Democrat legislators.
The conflict stems from Texas House Democrats who fled the state to deny Republicans a quorum, stalling critical legislation on redistricting and election integrity. O’Rourke, through his organization Powered by People, launched fundraising efforts via ActBlue to cover the runaways' personal costs like travel, lodging, meals, and potential fines—actions Paxton deems illegal coordination and deceptive solicitation.
Paxton's response began August 6 with an investigation into Powered by People for running an improper financial influence operation. By August 8, he filed suit against O’Rourke and the group, securing a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that immediately halted such fundraising and prohibited payments to the absent lawmakers. "The Beto Bribe buyouts that were bankrolling the runaway Democrats have been officially stopped," Paxton stated, emphasizing accountability for those undermining Texas governance.
Undeterred, O’Rourke defied the TRO within hours. At a Fort Worth rally on August 9, he ridiculed the ruling, declaring, "There are no refs in this game, f*** the rules, we are gonna win whatever it takes." He promoted donations by flashing "Text FIGHT to 20377" on a livestream, linking to the banned ActBlue page. O’Rourke repeated the pitch on X and at an Abilene town hall, deliberately continuing the violations.
In today's motion, Paxton requested $500 fines per infraction and O’Rourke's confinement until he commits to compliance. The filing highlights O’Rourke's "repeated statements disparaging this Court’s TRO and announcing his intent to continue violating the order," arguing jail is necessary to enforce the law. Paxton reinforced, "[H]e still thinks he's above the law, so I'm working to put him behind bars."
This move underscores Paxton's commitment to upholding Texas statutes against partisan obstruction, with a hearing expected soon.
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