A Tarrant County judge has blocked former U.S. Rep. Beto O鈥橰ourke from financially contributing to Texas Democrats who
That decision came as Attorney General Ken Paxton escalated the state鈥檚 response to a Democratic walkout by petitioning to have 13 lawmakers removed from office for their role in stalling .
In filed in Tarrant County district court Friday , Paxton accused the former congressman and his political group, Powered by People, of misleading donors by claiming contributions would be used for political purposes, when instead the money paid for what Paxton called 鈥渓avish personal expenditures鈥� 鈥� private jets, luxury hotels and fine dining 鈥� for absent lawmakers during the special session.
Paxton also claims O鈥橰ourke promised to cover fines, travel and lodging for Democrats if they broke quorum. According to , O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 political group is a top funder covering the costs of the walkout.
鈥淒emocrat 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,鈥� Paxton said in a statement. 鈥淭his out-of-state, cowardly cabal is abandoning their constitutional duties. I will not allow failed political has-beens to buy off Texas elected officials.鈥�
Just hours after the lawsuit was filed, a district judge the political group from 鈥渞aising funds for non-political purposes鈥� for the duration of the case, citing that continued fundraising would cause 鈥渋rreparable harm鈥� to the state.
"They want to make examples out of those who fight so that others won't," O鈥橰ourke said on Friday evening. "But I鈥檓 not going anywhere."
In his Friday, filed with the Texas Supreme Court, Paxton sought to unseat Ron Reynolds of Missouri City, Vikki Goodwin of Austin, Gina Hinojosa of Austin, James Talarico of Austin, Lulu Flores of Austin, Mihaela Plesa of Dallas, Suleman Lalani of Sugar Land, Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, Ana-Maria Ramos of Richardson, Jessica Gonzalez of Dallas, John Bucy of Austin, Christina Morales of Houston and Gene Wu of Houston.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows set a deadline of Friday for the Democrats to return. Without their presence, the House lacks the quorum required to conduct business, effectively stalling all legislative work at the state Capitol.
鈥淭hese cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold,鈥� Paxton said. 鈥淭heir out-of-state rebellion cannot go unchecked, and the business of Texas must go on.鈥�
Wu, who , was directly targeted in a separate lawsuit filed by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this week seeking to remove him from office.
If Paxton鈥檚 request is granted, the court鈥檚 declaration would allow Abbott to call special elections to fill the seats. The lawsuit marks the latest escalation in a week-long standoff that鈥檚 paralyzed the Legislature during the current special session. On Thursday, Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn said the FBI agreed to assist in apprehending the absent lawmakers.
