AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is celebrating another legal victory against former El Paso state representative Beto O'Rourke and his group's fundraising efforts for Texas Democrats who fled the state to stop a GOP-led redistricting effort.
In a news release Saturday, Paxton said a judge granted a modified temporary restraining order which stops O'Rourke's political action group, Powered by People, and any institution it partners with from removing any property or funds from the state.
“In Texas, lawless actions have consequences, and Beto’s finding that out the hard way,” Paxton said. “His fraudulent attempt to pad the pockets of the rogue cowards abandoning Texas has been stopped, and now the court has rightly frozen his ability to continue to send money outside of Texas."
Last week, a judge issued a restraining order blocking the group from fundraising or financially supporting the lawmakers who left the state, breaking quorum.
According to the Texas Tribune, this comes on the same day O'Rourke's group announced it donated more than $1 million to the Texas Democrats during a special session which ended Friday. Gov. Greg Abbott immediately called a second special legislative session.
Paxton also said the judge denied O'Rourke's request to have the case moved to El Paso, which is his hometown. He served on the City Council and represented El Paso in the Texas House of Representatives.
