Ken Paxton Says ‘Beto Bribes’ No Longer Helping Democrats Who Fled Texas

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton scored a legal victory Friday, securing a court order to block what he called “Beto Bribes” — a fundraising operation that he says bankrolled Texas Democrats who fled the state to block legislative action.

Paxton on Wednesday opened an investigation into Robert “Beto” O’Rourke’s group, Powered by People, over allegations it ran an illegal financial scheme to bribe Democrats who fled Texas to break quorum. Paxton took to social media to announce that the Texas district court granted Paxton a temporary restraining order against O’Rourke and Powered by People just hours after the state filed suit.

“I just defeated Beto O’Rourke in court. We secured a major victory stopping runaway Democrats from taking ‘Beto Bribes’ and preventing deceptive fundraising,” Paxton wrote.

The order halts all allegedly unlawful fundraising and spending while litigation proceeds. Paxton accused O’Rourke of running a “misleading financial-influence scheme” that used deceptive appeals to funnel donor money toward personal expenses for runaway Democrats rather than legitimate political activity.

The lawsuit alleges O’Rourke and his group intentionally blurred the line between political contributions and personal support, directing donors to partisan fundraising platforms while intending to use the money for expenses prohibited under Texas law.

Alongside the fundraising case, Paxton also filed a separate action with the Texas Supreme Court seeking to declare 13 absent Democrats’ seats vacant, arguing they abandoned their duties. He further opened an investigation into a Soros-funded group he says also underwrote the quorum break and is moving to enforce outstanding arrest warrants for the lawmakers in Illinois.