EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fired another salvo in his week-long conflict with former El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke and O’Rourke’s organization, Powered by the People.
Paxton, in an amended petition filed on Friday, Aug. 15, is seeking to revoke the charter of Powered by the People, O’Rourke’s political organization.
Paxton originally filed a lawsuit on Aug. 8, alleging that O’Rourke and his organization are operating a misleading and fraudulent scheme to raise personal funds for Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to break quorum in the Texas House and stall Republican-led efforts at mid-decade redistricting.
Democrats say that the process is being pushed by President Trump from Washington and would result in watered-down voting power for Hispanics and Blacks across the state.
A group of 50 House Democrats left Texas on Aug. 3 to break the quorum.
The same day that the lawsuit was filed, a district court in Tarrant County issued a temporary restraining order preventing O’Rourke and his organization from raising money that would help House Democrats who left the state.
Paxton has alleged that O’Rourke is continuing to fundraise in “blatant violation of the restraining order.”
“Robert (O’Rourke) and his unlawful influence scheme, Powered by People, have deceived donors, bought off Texas politicians, and unlawfully assisted runaway Democrats in avoiding arrest,” Paxton said in a news release posted on his office’s website. “As much as Robert and the sell-out Democrats might wish to ignore them, we do have laws that must be followed. I have asked the court to enforce its previous TRO, throw Beto behind bars, and revoke Powered by People’s charter for its unlawful conduct. There must be consequences.”
O’Rourke’s team, however, said O’Rourke had merely told a crowd in Fort Worth last weekend that Democrats need to fight fire with fire and that states controlled by Democrats, like Maryland, need to do their own redistricting effort to counter Texas’ efforts. He said that Paxton is lying when he says that he is continuing to fundraise in violation of the court order.
A second special session started Friday and under a new map being proposed by Republicans, key parts of Fort Bliss and the El Paso International Aiport would remain in U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar’s district, accoding to El Paso Matters. The 16th Congressional District has long contained most of El Paso.
A previous version of the map would have stripped Fort Bliss and the airport and put them in Rep. Tony Gonzales’ district, the 23rd Congressional District. That district currently contains part of East El Paso and stretches all the way to San Antonio and includes the border with Mexico.
Escobar is a Democrat and Gonzales is a Republican.
The redistricting plan is subject to change as the Texas House and Senate debate its specifics.
Read: Read More