Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Robert Francis O’Rourke for ?“Beto Bribes” to Democrat Runaways to Impede the Texas Legislature
9th August 2025
Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Robert Francis O’Rourke and his radical organization, Powered by People, for unlawful fundraising activity, including potentially operating a misleading financial-influence scheme to fund runaway Democrats who fled Texas to break quorum.
“Democrat runaways are likely accepting Beto Bribes to underwrite their jet-setting sideshow in far-flung places and misleadingly raising political funds to pay for personal expenses,” said Attorney General Paxton. “This out-of-state, cowardly cabal is abandoning their constitutional duties. I will not allow failed political has-beens to buy off Texas elected officials. I’ll see you in court, Beto.”
O’Rourke and Powered by People intentionally misled donors to fund runaway Democrats’ personal expenses, despite advertising it as political fundraising. By knowingly blurring the distinction, O’Rourke and Powered by People sought to take advantage of uninformed donors by directing them to explicitly political fundraising platforms, all while intending to use the funds for purposes they understood to be constituted as personal expenditures. Texas law prohibits organizations from engaging in false, misleading, and deceptive acts, such as the fundraising scheme operated by O’Rourke and Powered by People.
Attorney General Paxton has requested a temporary restraining order and an injunction preventing O’Rourke and Powered by People from continuing to raise or distribute money for the purpose of funding the runaway Democrat House members. Attorney General Paxton previously demanded documents from Powered by People and opened an investigation into a Soros-funded group that is also underwriting the quorum break.
UPDATE: Judge blocks Beto O’Rourke from financially supporting Texas Democrats who left the state
Apparently Paxton’s theory is that O’Rourke financially supporting the Democrat exodus constitutes a species of bribery. We’ll see where that goes.