Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has expanded a temporary restraining order against Beto O’Rourke’s organization, blocking funds from leaving Texas.
The order targets Powered by People’s alleged financial scheme supporting Democratic legislators who fled the state.
The expanded ruling prevents O’Rourke’s group and partner institutions like ActBlue from transferring money out of Texas. It marks Paxton’s latest legal victory against the former gubernatorial candidate.
O’Rourke’s organization allegedly operated an “unlawful financial influence scheme” to help Democrats avoid arrest during their quorum break. The attorney general secured an initial restraining order last week.
A Travis County court also denied O’Rourke’s attempt to move the case to El Paso. The venue decision keeps the lawsuit in Austin’s jurisdiction.
“In Texas, lawless actions have consequences, and Beto’s finding that out the hard way,” Paxton said in a statement. “His fraudulent attempt to pad the pockets of the rogue cowards abandoning Texas has been stopped, and now the court has rightly frozen his ability to continue to send money outside of Texas.”
The modified order specifically names financial institutions and political fundraising platforms. It prohibits them from transferring Powered by People’s funds outside Texas.
Paxton called the Democratic legislators a “cabal” engaged in collusion.
“The cabal of Democrats who have colluded together to scam Texans and derail our Legislature will face the full force of the law, starting with Robert Francis O’Rourke,” he said.
The attorney general’s office provided links to both court documents. Neither O’Rourke nor Powered by People immediately responded to the ruling.