Latest news with #BetoBribe
Fox News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Texas AG investigates Beto O'Rourke PAC over support for quorum-breaking lawmakers
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is looking into two political action committees for allegedly violating the law by assisting Texas state Democrats' travel out of the state in an effort to avoid a quorum during a redistricting standoff. The groups are the Powered by People PAC, led by former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, and the Texas Majority PAC, led by members of his former staff. "Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto Bribe will be held accountable," Paxton said in a news release on Wednesday. O'Rourke unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, lost to Sen. Ted Cruz in a closely-watched 2018 contest, and lost to Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022. Still, he remains a prominent voice in the state's political scene. "Texas cannot be bought. I look forward to thoroughly reviewing all of the documents and communications obtained throughout this investigation. These jet-setting runaways have already lost public trust by abandoning our state, and Texans deserve to know if they received illegal bribes to do it," Paxton continued. Public records indicated that the Powered by People PAC does get a significant number of smaller donations through individuals by platforms like ActBlue, but it's also received over hundreds of thousands from the progressive consulting firm Middle Seat, and $100,000 from Simone Coxe, a nonprofit leader who was a major funder of O'Rourke's gubernatorial bid, according to the Texas Tribune. In addition, FEC records show that the Harris Victory Fund gave over $114,000 in January 2024 and $60,000 in December 2023. In 2024, it also received just over $5,000 from Luci Baines Johnson, the former first daughter of President Lyndon Johnson. According to the Texas Tribune, the PAC has acknowledged assisting lawmakers with travel outside of the state, including helping to cover $500 daily fines. "100% of your donation will go to supporting Texas Democrats in their fight against Trump's power grab," the website stated, Fox News Digital previously reported. The group reports over $3.5 million in cash on hand as of June 30, according to Federal Election Commission records. As for the Texas Majority PAC, it receives heavy funding from George Soros, a longtime Democratic donor. "If Texas lawmakers are bowing to the Soros Slush Fund rather than the will of the voters, Texans deserve to know. Getting financial payouts under the table to abandon your legislative duties is bribery," Paxton said in a Thursday statement. "Texas Majority PAC's actions seem to indicate that it may be using its Soros-funded resources to break the law and fund the illegal abandonment of public office. If that's the case as determined by this investigation, there will be a heavy price to pay." Fox News Digital reached out to Powered by People PAC and the Texas Majority PAC for comment on the Paxton investigation. O'Rourke responded to a post from Paxton on Wednesday, saying the Democrat is "scared of accountability." "Scared? If we stop the Texas steal & win the House, your guy's crimes & corruption will be exposed for all to see. The girls traded with Epstein. The bribes taken from foreign governments. And when he goes down, your corrupt, impeached, twice indicted ass is going down with him!" O'Rourke replied on X.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Texas AG launches probe into Beto O'Rourke's political group over funding for Democrats who fled state
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation Wednesday into potential 'unlawful activity' undertaken by former Rep. Beto O'Rourke's political group to help state Democratic lawmakers stay away from the capital amid a Republican-led effort to redraw congressional maps. Paxton is probing whether Powered by People, a political action committee founded by O'Rourke in 2019, may have violated bribery and other state laws by 'bankrolling' the more than 50 Texas House Democrats who have stalled a special legislative session by fleeing the state. 'Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto Bribe will be held accountable,' Paxton said in a statement. 'Texas cannot be bought. I look forward to thoroughly reviewing all of the documents and communications obtained throughout this investigation.' Advertisement 3 Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke speaks during a town hall, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, at the University of Nebraska Omaha in Omaha, Neb. AP 'These jet-setting runaways have already lost public trust by abandoning our state, and Texans deserve to know if they received illegal bribes to do it.' O'Rourke's group, which reported having $3.5 million in cash at the end of June, has reportedly covered airfare, lodging and other logistical expenses the absent state reps have incurred, according to the Texas Tribune. Advertisement A 2021 effort by Texas Democrats to stall new state voting laws by fleeing the capital was similarly supported by Powered by People, which spent more than half a million dollars to back the stunt, the outlet reported at the time. O'Rourke criticized Paxton's investigation in an X post Wednesday, and referenced the AG's own bribery scandal for which he was acquitted in 2023. 'The guy impeached for bribery is going after the folks trying to stop the theft of five Congressional seats,' O'Rourke wrote. 3 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton pauses while speaking during a news conference in Washington, DC, on April 26, 2022. REUTERS Advertisement 3 Paxton is investigating whether Powered by People, a political action committee founded by O'Rourke in 2019, violated bribery and other state laws by funding more than 50 Texas House Democrats who stalled a special legislative session by leaving the state. Getty Images Asked about his group's funding scheme in a CNN interview, the former congressman and Democratic presidential primary candidate said it was 'absolutely' worth it. 'If we fail, the consolidation of authoritarian power in America will be nearly unstoppable,' O'Rourke argued, warning that the redistricting push – which could give Republicans five additional seats in the House of Representatives by the 2026 midterm elections – would 'roll out a royal red carpet for a Trump third term.' Advertisement O'Rourke insisted that he believes the Democrats in hiding 'can stay out long enough to stop this steal in Texas.' As part of the investigation into Powered by People, Paxton has demanded documents and communications from the group regarding potentially unlawful activity, including its involvement in the Democrats' scheme to break quorum, his office said in a statement.
The Hill
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Texas AG Paxton probes O'Rourke group for ‘bankrolling' lawmakers
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has launched an investigation into whether former Rep. Beto O'Rourke's (D-Texas) political group is breaking laws by allegedly 'bankrolling' the out-of-state travel of Democrats attempting to stop the passage of the newly proposed GOP-favored congressional maps. Paxton, in a Wednesday press release, said Powered by People, a group led by O'Rourke, may have violated bribery laws. He added that O'Rourke's group and the Texas Democrats who fled the state may have also 'violated other Texas laws, including, but not limited to, those governing campaign or officeholder contributions and expenditures, coercion of a public servant, and abuse of office.' 'I just launched an investigation into Beto O'Rourke's radical group for unlawfully funding runaway Democrats,' Paxton said in a post on X announcing the investigation. 'Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto Bribe will be held accountable,' he added. On Tuesday, the Texas Tribune reported that Power by People has been one of the top funders covering the costs of the Texas lawmakers who have left the state. In response to Paxton's investigation, O'Rourke encouraged people to sign up for text notifications from his group. 'The guy impeached for bribery is going after the folks trying to stop the theft of five Congressional seats. I encourage everyone to text FIGHT to 20377. Let's stop these thugs before they steal our country,' O'Rourke said in a post on X. As part of the investigation, Paxton has issued a request for 'documents and communications from the group regarding potentially unlawful activity, including its involvement in the Democrats' scheme to break quorum.' 'Attorney General Paxton has announced that he will take aggressive legal action against runaway Democrats who do not present themselves before the House by the Speaker's deadline of Friday,' the press release read. Several Republicans are calling for the FBI's involvement after the Democrats left the state on Sunday to block Republicans from passing a new map that would offer the Texas GOP five additional pickup opportunities in the House. Trump said Tuesday the FBI may need to get involved. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Paxton have called for the lawmakers who fled to be arrested, and Abbott has already started the process of trying to remove at least one Democrat from office.
