A Texas district court judge granted a Temporary Restraining Order against Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke to stop what Attorney General Ken Paxton described as a “misleading financial-influence scheme to fund runaway Democrats who fled Texas to break quorum. ” The order stops O’Rourke and his political group, Powered By People, from fundraising and expending funds to support Democrat House Representatives who fled the state to prevent the passage of congressional redistricting in the special session called by Governor Greg Abbott.
“The Court finds that harm is imminent to the State, and if the Court does not issue the Temporary Restraining Order, the State will be irreparably injured,” 348th Judicial District Court Judge Megan Fahey wrote in the court order. “Specifically, Defendants’ fundraising conduct constitutes false, misleading, or deceptive acts under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §§ 17.46(a), (b)(2), (b)(5), (b)(7), and (b)(24) because Defendants are raising and utilizing political contributions from Texas consumers to pay for the personal expenses of Texas legislators, in violation of Texas law.”
After filing the lawsuit, Paxton wrote:
Democrat runaways are likely accepting Beto Bribes to underwrite their jet-setting sideshow in far-flung places and misleadingly raising political funds to pay for personal expenses. This out-of-state, cowardly cabal is abandoning their constitutional duties. I will not allow failed political has-beens to buy off Texas elected officials. I’ll see you in court, Beto.
Attorney General Paxton claimed victory following the issuance of the restraining order mere hours after filing. “The Beto Bribe buyouts that were bankrolling the runaway Democrats have been officially stopped,” Paxton said in a written statement Friday evening. “People like Robert (O’Rourke) believe Texas can be bought. 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.”
Earlier on Friday, the Office of the Attorney General filed a lawsuit against O’Rourke and his political group, Powered by People. The attorney general wrote:
Earlier today, Attorney General Paxton sued O’Rourke and Powered by People for intentionally misleading donors to fund runaway Democrats’ personal expenses, despite advertising it as political fundraising. By knowingly blurring the distinction, O’Rourke and Powered by People sought to take advantage of uninformed donors by directing them to explicitly political fundraising platforms, all while intending to use the funds for purposes they understood to be constituted as personal expenditures.
After arguments by the plaintiff’s and defendants’ attorneys, Judge Fahey ordered:
Therefore, by this Order, the Court issues this Temporary Restraining Order, immediately restraining Defendants from the following:
i. Using political funds for the improper, unlawful, and non-political purposes of (1) funding out-of-state travel, hotel, or dining accommodations or services to unexcused Texas legislators during any special legislative session called by the Texas Governor, or (2) funding payments of fines provided by Texas House rules for unexcused legislative absences;
ii. Raising funds for non-political purposes, including to (1) fund out-of-state travel, hotel, or dining accommodations or services to unexcused Texas legislators during any special legislative session called by the Texas Governor, or (2) fund payments of fines provided by Texas House rules for unexcused legislative absences, through the ActBlue platform or any other platform that purports to exist for political fundraising purposes;
iii. Offering, conferring, or agreeing to confer, travel, hotel, or dining accommodations or services (or funds to support such accommodations or services) to unexcused Texas legislators during any special legislative session called by the Texas Governor as consideration for a violation of such legislators’ Constitutional duties; and
iv. Removing any property or funds from the State of Texas during the pendency of this lawsuit.
The judge said this order shall remain in effect until “fourteen days after entry or until further agreed by the parties or as otherwise ordered by this Court, whichever occurs first.”
Judge Fahey set a date for a hearing on the State’s Application for Temporary Injunction for August 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. CDT, The hearing will take place in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas.
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