Texas files motion against O'Rourke in fight over redistricting maps
Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Texas filed a motion for contempt Tuesday against Beto O'Rourke, accusing him of violating a temporary restraining order barring him from fundraising for Democratic lawmakers who fled the state earlier this month amid a deepening fight with Republicans over redistricting maps.
In the motion, filed in the District Court for Tarrant County, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleges that O'Rourke -- a former U.S. House legislator and potential Democratic presidential candidate -- violated a court order that was handed down Friday by continuing to solicit donations for Texas Democrats through the Democratic Party's ActBlue fundraising arm, specifically at rallies in Fort Worth and Abilene that were held over the weekend and online.
"Beto is about to find out that running your mouth and ignoring the rule of law has consequences in Texas," Paxton said on X.
"It's time to lock him up."
Democrats have come out in force since their Texas colleagues fled the state earlier this month to deny Republicans a quorum to pass redistricting maps that would give the GOP five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Critics and Democrats argue that the maps draw lines that dilute the voting power of Latino and Black people, while serving as a power grab by President Donald Trump through rigging the GOP representation in the House ahead of next year's midterm elections. Usually, redistricting occurs once a decade with the publishing of U.S. Census Bureau data.
O'Rourke has been at the forefront of the effort to support Texas Democrats and a target of Paxton, who, on Friday, secured a temporary restraining order barring his fellow Texan from soliciting donations for nonpolitical purposes, including to fund "out-of-state travel, hotel or dining accommodations or services to unexcused Texas legislators during any special legislative session called by the Texas governor."
The motion filed Tuesday centers mainly on social media posts by O'Rourke that encourage people to donate "to have the backs of our Texas Democrats in this fight," and the two rallies held over the weekend, specifically the Saturday event in Fort Worth, where Paxton in the motion quotes the Democrat as having said, "There are no refs in this game. [expletive] the rules," seemingly to suggest he was openly flouting the court order.
O'Rourke responded to the lawsuit by accusing Paxton of purposefully misusing his words in a social media post, that included a clip from the rally the attorney general quoted him from.
The clip shows O'Rourke speaking about encouraging all Democratic-led states to redraw their maps as Texas has to "maximize Democratic Party advantage" because "there are no refs in this game."
In the Tuesday response, O'Rourke said Paxton was "lying to try to silence us."
"We alerted the court that the AG's office blatantly lied in its filing," he said in a post on X. "We're seeking maximum sanctions in response to his abuse of office."
If the court finds O'Rourke in violation of the temporary restraining order, it could fine him up to $500 and jail him for up to six months.
The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for Aug. 19.
The filing comes the same day the Texas Senate approved the controversial redistricting map 19-2 along party lines, with nine of the 11 Democrats walking out before the vote in protest.
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