On Friday, a judge in Texas ruled against Beto O’Rourke and his nonprofit organization in a case initiated by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused them of unlawfully raising funds to assist Democratic lawmakers that left the state to obstruct GOP redistricting legislation.
Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey issued a temporary restraining order on Friday evening against O’Rourke, a former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate, along with his organization, Powered by People, regarding what she described as “unlawful fundraising practices” associated with efforts to support Texas Democrats who departed the state — which included financing air travel, accommodation, logistics, and daily fines, as reported by Fox News.
“The defendants have engaged and will continue to engage in unlawful fundraising practices and the use of political funds in a manner that either directly contravenes or compels Texas Democratic Legislators to contravene [the law],” Fahey stated in her ruling. “Consumers have suffered and continue to suffer irreparable harm due to these unlawful actions, as they are making political contributions that are being utilized to cover personal expenses and violate state law.”
Fahey’s order prohibits O’Rourke and his team from continuing to raise funds or offer financial assistance to the Democrats who are fleeing. This ruling was issued just hours after Paxton’s office submitted a petition for the restraining order.
Fahey, a member of the Republican Party, was appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in 2019.
Following the ruling, O’Rourke released a statement accusing Paxton of attempting to dismantle his nonprofit organization “because our volunteers advocate for voting rights and free elections,” describing it as “the type of work that endangers the grip that Paxton, Trump, and Abbott have on power in Texas.”
“They aim to set an example out of those who resist so that others will be deterred,” O’Rourke stated. “Now Paxton has filed a restraining order in an effort to remove us from the struggle. He seeks to silence me and prevent me from leading this organization. He wants to hinder our efforts against Trump’s attempt to seize the five congressional seats necessary for him to maintain power. However, I will not back down. I intend to address our rally to oppose the power grab in Fort Worth tomorrow afternoon.
In conjunction with the Powered by People case, Paxton initiated an inquiry into the Texas Majority PAC, which has similarly been alleged to be a significant financial supporter of the Democrats who departed the state.
O’Rourke submitted his own lawsuit against Paxton in the El Paso district court on Friday, as reported by The Texas Tribune. O’Rourke charged Paxton with conducting a “fishing expedition” and requested that a judge prevent the investigation into the operations of his nonprofit.
Paxton expressed his satisfaction with the ruling through a post on X.
BREAKING: I have just won a court case against Beto O’Rourke. We achieved a significant victory in halting the actions of runaway Democrats who were attempting to accept ‘Beto Bribes’ and engaging in misleading fundraising practices. They challenged me to “come and take it,” and I did,” stated the Texas attorney general.