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12h ago

Texas AG Seeks Jail Time for Beto O’Rourke in Redistricting Quorum Fight

Paxton says O’Rourke flouted a court order by soliciting funds for Democrats’ lodging and fines; he now seeks contempt penalties before an Aug. 19 hearing

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 03: Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke speaks during the 2020 Public Service Forum hosted by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) at UNLV on August 3, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nineteen of the 24 candidates running for the Democratic party's 2020 presidential nomination are addressing union members in a state with one of the largest organized labor populations in the United States. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • A temporary restraining order issued Aug. 8 bars O’Rourke and Powered by People from raising or spending campaign funds on personal expenses for over 50 Texas Democrats who left the state to block a redistricting vote.
  • In a contempt motion filed Aug. 12, Attorney General Ken Paxton asks for $500 fines per violation and up to six months in jail after alleging O’Rourke urged rally attendees and social-media followers to donate in defiance of the injunction.
  • O’Rourke filed his own lawsuit on Aug. 8 in El Paso district court seeking to halt Paxton’s investigation into Powered by People’s fundraising and voter-registration activities.
  • Absent Democrats face $500 daily fines under Texas law that cannot be paid with political donations, and their travel and lodging bills continue to mount as they remain in Illinois, New York and elsewhere.
  • Tarrant County Judge Megan Fahey has set an Aug. 19 hearing on the injunction and contempt filings, raising broader questions about cross-state enforcement of legislative fines and campaign finance rules.