A Senate Republican is calling for the Justice Department to investigate groups tied to Beto O’Rourke and George Soros for allegedly funding Texas Democrats’ flight from the state during the redistricting special session.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging a probe into whether O’Rourke’s Powered by People PAC and the Soros-linked Texas Majority PAC acted “in violation of federal public corruption and election laws” by raising money to help state Democrats leave Texas, according to Fox News.
“I write today to encourage an investigation of the entities funding this charade,” Cornyn wrote in the letter, first obtained by Fox News Digital. “News reports make clear that PACs tied to Beto O’Rourke and megadonors such as George Soros are supporting the legislators, along with other campaign entities.”
Roughly 50 Texas House Democrats left for New York and Illinois in a bid to prevent a quorum and block the GOP-led redistricting effort. Cornyn previously called on FBI Director Kash Patel to help locate the legislators.
Reports from the Texas Tribune say O’Rourke’s PAC has played a major role in financially supporting the lawmakers — paying for airfare, lodging, and covering the $500-per-day fines they face for skipping the session. The Soros-aligned PAC is also reportedly coordinating with national fundraising groups to secure more resources.
Fox News Digital reached out to both organizations for comment. Meanwhile, the Texas Senate advanced the new maps Tuesday night, and the absent House Democrats are reportedly preparing to return. The special session ends next Tuesday, though Gov. Greg Abbott has said he would call another if necessary.
Cornyn warned that if legislators accepted money or gifts in exchange for using their official position to block a quorum, they may have committed honest services fraud or Hobbs Act extortion. Crossing state lines to do so could violate the Travel Act “if they did so with the intent to break either federal or state laws.”
“At a minimum, it appears likely that Texas state bribery and corruption laws may have been broken” by both the legislators and the groups linked to O’Rourke and Soros “who provided these corrupt funds,” Cornyn wrote.
He also suggested O’Rourke’s group may have violated federal campaign finance laws by making prohibited expenditures, such as paying for “food, lodging, and travel unrelated to electioneering activities.” Cornyn asked DOJ to work with the Federal Election Commission to examine both the funding sources and spending “to ensure compliance with all federal laws and regulations.”
His request follows a similar demand by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is also battling Cornyn in a contentious Republican Senate primary. Paxton on Tuesday asked a Texas district judge to jail O’Rourke over allegations he violated a court order prohibiting fundraising to support the Democrats’ quorum-blocking effort.
Cornyn criticized the lawmakers’ absence for stalling not only redistricting but also legislation to aid victims of recent Texas floods.
“The special session will end in a matter of days, at which point, assistance to flood victims and other needed measures will go unaddressed,” he said. “The absconding House members’ dereliction of duty is truly shameful.”
