EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says that former El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke is in contempt of court and is violating a temporary restraining order by continuing to fund-raise and pay for the personal expenses of House Democrats who have fled the state.
Paxton also called for O’Rourke’s arrest in a news release posted on his office’s website on Tuesday, Aug. 12.
On Aug. 3, about 50 House Democrats fled Texas to break the quorum and halt Republican-led redistricting efforts. Democrats say that the effort is being pushed by President Donald Trump and would water down the voting power of Hispanic and Black voters.
On Aug. 8, Paxton sued O’Rourke and his organization, Powered by the People, for what he called “unlawful fundraising activity” and alleged that O’Rourke was paying for the expenses of “runaway” Democrats.
Later that day, a district court in Tarrant County issued a temporary restraining order against O’Rourke and his organization from supporting Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to oppose redistricting.
“Despite this crystal-clear court order and temporary restraining order, O’Rourke continued to scam Texans by repeatedly promoting his illegal fundraising scheme over the weekend at events hosted by Powered by People,” the Attorney General’s Office said on its web page.
Paxton also said that less than 24 hours after the temporary restraining order was signed, O’Rourke told a crowd in Fort Worth that he would continue to fund-raise.
Paxton said that O’Rourke told the crowd that “there are no refs in this game, ‘profanity-deleted’ the rules.”
Paxton said that jailing O’Rourke is “absolutely necessary to persuade him to obey the lawful restraining order issued by the Tarrant County court.”
O’Rourke’s organization, however, said that in the above quote that Paxton is referring to, O’Rourke was calling on fellow Democrats to fight fire with fire and urged Democrats in other states to do their own redistricting efforts.
“He’s lying about me to try to silence us. I mean every word. We alerted the Court that the AG’s office blatantly lied in its filing. We’re seeking maximum sanctions in response to his abuse of office. Taking the fight directly to this corrupt, lying thug,” O’Rourke said on social media.
In the clip, O’Rourke is clearly talking about Democrats in places like Maryland and New Jersey doing their own redistricting.
“You may say to yourself those aren’t the rules,” O’Rourke tells the crowd. “There are no refs in this game. ‘Profanity deleted’ the rules. We are going to win, whatever it takes.”
A word of warning: O’Rourke uses a profanity in this clip while talking to the crowd in Fort Worth. You can click here to watch for yourself.
Read: Read More