Judge Blocks Beto O'rourke From Providing Financial Support To Texas Democrats Who Fled State Over Redistricting

A Texas territory judge connected Friday temporarily barred erstwhile Rep. Beto O'Rourke and his governmental group from helping to money nan Democratic legislators who person near nan authorities to forestall Republicans from pressing guardant with a redistricting plan aimed astatine expanding nan GOP's constrictive mostly successful nan U.S. House.

The ruling is simply a victory, albeit perchance a impermanent one, for Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who sought nan impermanent restraining bid accusing O'Rourke and his group of a bribery scheme, accusations nan Democrat has vigorously denied. And it could woody a important financial rustle to nan authorities Democratic lawmakers, who are facing financial penalties and different costs related to their "quorum break."

Tarrant County District Court Judge Megan Fahey, who was appointed successful 2019 by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and has since won re-election (Texas elects their judges), wrote successful Friday's bid that she believes O'Rourke and his group "have and will proceed to prosecute successful unlawful fundraising practices and utilization of governmental funds" that either violates aliases causes nan Democrats to break authorities rule and House rules.

Evoking nan almost 200-year-old Texas refrain "Come and Take It," Paxton celebrated nan ruling successful a statement.

"Today, I stopped his deceptive financial power strategy that attempted to deceive donors and subvert our law process. They told maine to ‘come and return it,’ truthful I did,'" said Paxton, who is challenging U.S. Sen. John Cornyn for his Senate spot successful adjacent year's GOP primary.

O'Rourke, who said earlier he would writer Paxton successful authorities court, denounced nan judge's determination successful a statement, arguing that nan lawyer wide is going aft his group "because our volunteers conflict for voting authorities and free elections… nan benignant of activity that threatens nan clasp that Paxton, Trump, and Abbott person connected powerfulness successful Texas."

"He wants to soundlessness maine and extremity maine from starring this organization. He wants to extremity america from fighting Trump’s effort to bargain nan 5 legislature seats he needs to bent connected to power. But I’m not going anywhere," he added.

O'Rourke has been a vocal state of nan much than 50 Democrats who person refused to show up to nan Capitol successful Austin this week successful a bid to contradict Republicans nan minimum number of lawmakers required to move guardant pinch legislative business, what's known arsenic "quorum."

Democrats person framed their actions arsenic a past resort, but a basal 1 because they judge Republicans, by aiming to push done a uncommon mid-decade redistrict that could let Republicans to nett up to 5 much seats successful adjacent year's midterm elections, are acting unconstitutionally.

Republicans for illustration Paxton and Abbott however, are turning nan screws connected nan Democrats pinch a flurry of ineligible filings aiming to footwear nan lawmakers from office, disrupt their backing streams, assistance Texas rule enforcement nan expertise to way them down successful different states and different complicate their expertise to negociate their legislative offices from extracurricular of nan state.