Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to defending the state’s elections — and failed Democrat candidate Beto O’Rourke is now squarely in his crosshairs.
In a bold move, Paxton has launched an investigation into O’Rourke’s political nonprofit, *Powered by People*, for allegedly bankrolling the infamous 2021 stunt where Texas House Democrats fled the state to sabotage Republican-backed redistricting plans. The Democrats’ exodus to Washington, D.C. — complete with chartered flights, luxury hotels, and plenty of photo ops — was meant to grind the legislative process to a halt.
According to Paxton’s office, O’Rourke’s group may have crossed the line from political activism into outright illegality. “Powered by People has been one of the top groups bankrolling the Texas House Democrat members who abandoned Texans and vacated their offices,” the AG’s statement read. “By providing these liberal lawmakers with the funds to flee the state, Powered by People may have violated bribery laws.”
And that’s just the start. Paxton’s release went on to suggest the group could also be guilty of violating campaign finance laws, coercion of a public servant, and abuse of office.
The AG didn’t mince words. “Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto bribe will be held accountable. Texas cannot be bought,” Paxton declared. “Democrats have abandoned their offices by fleeing Texas, and a failure to respond to a call of the House constitutes a dereliction of their duty as elected officials.”
Paxton made it clear that the Lone Star State will not tolerate political theater at the expense of its citizens. “Starting Friday, any rogue lawmakers refusing to return to the House will be held accountable for vacating their office,” he warned. “The people of Texas elected lawmakers, not jet-setting runaways looking for headlines. If you don’t show up to work, you get fired.”
If the Democrats don’t return, Paxton says he will take the matter to court and seek a ruling declaring their seats vacant — a stunning consequence for elected officials who thought they could simply run from their responsibilities.
But rather than showing remorse, O’Rourke is doubling down. In a shameless fundraising text, he tried to turn the heat back on Paxton: “The guy impeached for bribery is going after the folks trying to stop the theft of five Congressional seats. I encourage everyone to text FIGHT to 20377. Let’s stop these thugs before they steal our country.”
O’Rourke also defended the tactic in a softball CNN interview, insisting the Democrats could stay away “long enough to stop this steal in Texas.” When pressed on the obvious reality — that eventually they’d have to return and face the music — O’Rourke claimed that preventing redistricting was worth the cost.
But for Texans who believe in accountability, the message from Paxton is loud and clear: You can’t just abandon your post, take political cash, and expect to get away with it. In Texas, public office is a duty — not a vacation package.
