Texas just dropped a legal bombshell on former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and his allies in a showdown over political fundraising.
According to Just The News, in a nutshell, a Texas judge has expanded a temporary restraining order against O’Rourke, his group Powered by People, ActBlue, and related financial entities, halting their efforts to fund House Democrats who fled the state to block a redistricting bill.
This saga kicked off over a week ago when more than 50 House Democrats bolted from Texas, grinding legislative business to a halt and dodging a vote on a redistricting plan that could shift up to five seats to Republicans in future midterms.
Eight days back, a Texas district court slapped an initial restraining order on O’Rourke and Powered by People, barring them from raising or distributing cash to these absentee lawmakers.
That wasn’t enough for O’Rourke, who held a rally in Fort Worth the very next day, doubling down on his fundraising push. Social media videos showed him firing up crowds in Kansas City and Fort Worth, urging donations with quips like, “the gloves are off.” Well, Beto, looks like the court just laced up its pair.
Meanwhile, Powered by People and ActBlue kept the money machine running to “fight” the redistricting maps, which prompted Attorney General Ken Paxton to step in with a motion for contempt against O’Rourke.
Late Friday, Paxton upped the ante, filing an amended petition to yank Powered by People’s charter, accusing them of deceptive fundraising and what he called “Beto Bribes” to legislators for breaking quorum.
Paxton’s complaint didn’t mince words, alleging O’Rourke’s crew misled donors by funneling money through platforms like ActBlue for personal perks—think private jets and fancy dinners—while claiming it was all for political purposes. He argued, “have deceived donors, bought off Texas politicians.” That’s a bold charge, and one wonders if donors knew their dollars might buy steak instead of strategy.
On Friday, Paxton also pushed the court to expand the initial order, requesting a lien to stop what he sees as unlawful shenanigans in their tracks.
By Saturday, Judge Megan Fahey answered Paxton’s call, broadening the temporary restraining order to include ActBlue and any banks or financial outfits tied to O’Rourke’s operation, with the order lasting until Sept. 5.
Judge Fahey wasn’t subtle in her ruling, stating, “harm is imminent to the State,” and calling the fundraising tactics false and misleading under Texas trade laws. She added that using political donations for lawmakers’ expenses breaks state law and harms the public. That’s a judicial gavel slam if there ever was one.
That same day, O’Rourke took to a rally in Austin, boasting that their efforts had already poured over $1 million into groups like the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, seemingly unfazed by the court’s tightened grip. He thanked “everyone who has joined us.” Admirable grit, perhaps, but ignoring a court order isn’t exactly a winning playbook.
Paxton, for his part, celebrated the expanded order, declaring that O’Rourke’s “fraudulent attempt” to bankroll rogue Democrats has been frozen, especially funds heading out of state. He insisted the “cabal of Democrats” scamming Texans would face consequences. It’s a strong stance, though some might question if this is more about political theater than public good.
With a hearing for a temporary injunction set for Sept. 2, this legal tug-of-war is far from over, and Tarrant County’s allegations of deceptive trade practices add another layer of scrutiny to O’Rourke’s fundraising machine. The question remains: are these efforts a noble stand against redistricting, or a reckless end-run around the law? Texas conservatives, and likely many moderates, lean toward the latter, hoping accountability—not just headlines—prevails.
