Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke has been barred from financially supporting Texas Democrats who left the state to delay a new congressional map, following a ruling by a Tarrant County judge on Friday evening.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued O’Rourke and his political group, Powered by People, earlier that day, accusing them of deceptive fundraising and illegally aiding Democrats as they traveled to Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York to prevent the Texas House from reaching the quorum needed to pass legislation.
Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey granted Paxton’s request for a temporary injunction less than four hours after the petition was filed. The order prohibits O’Rourke and Powered by People from fundraising for the lawmakers or covering their expenses.
Fahey, a Republican appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2019 and twice reelected, agreed with Paxton’s claim that Powered by People engaged in false or misleading fundraising and that distributing funds to the Democrats either directly violated or caused them to violate state law and House procedures. The ruling specifies that political funds cannot pay for travel or lodging for unexcused Texas legislators during any special legislative session called by the governor when those legislators are in violation of their constitutional duties.
O’Rourke responded by filing his own lawsuit in El Paso district court against Paxton, accusing the attorney general of conducting a “fishing expedition” and disregarding constitutional rights. He sought to block Paxton’s investigation into the organization’s practices.
In a statement after the injunction, O’Rourke said Paxton was targeting those who fight for voting rights to deter others. “Paxton 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,” O’Rourke said.
Paxton replied on social media: “Cry more, lib.”
The case is part of a broader Republican effort to compel Democratic lawmakers to return to Texas. Trump has demanded the state redraw its congressional map to secure five more GOP seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. Lacking other options, Democrats left the state to prevent quorum in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Typically, absent members face arrest warrants enforceable only within Texas until quorum is restored. This time, Republicans have escalated by filing lawsuits to cut off funding, seeking enforcement of civil warrants in Illinois, probing lawmakers and donors for bribery, and asking the Texas Supreme Court to expel absent legislators.
“The Beto Bribe buyouts that were bankrolling the runaway Democrats have been officially stopped,” Paxton said in a statement. “Today, I stopped his deceptive financial influence scheme that attempted to deceive donors and subvert our constitutional process. They told me to ‘come and take it,’ so I did.”
