Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into Texas Majority PAC, alleging the group may be involved in unlawful coordination and bribery of Democratic lawmakers who left the state to block a redistricting vote.
Paxton has warned he will take strong legal action against Texas Democrats and their financial supporters if they do not return to Austin by Friday for the scheduled vote. He accused the PAC of working with “far-left organizations attempting to subvert the will of Texas voters.”
Texas Majority PAC was formed by former aides to Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who has unsuccessfully run for both governor and U.S. Senate. The group has received significant funding from billionaire George Soros and his network.
“If Texas lawmakers are bowing to the Soros Slush Fund rather than the will of the voters, Texans deserve to know,” Paxton said. “Getting financial payouts under the table to abandon your legislative duties is bribery.” He added that if the PAC is found to have used Soros-backed funds to break the law, “there will be a heavy price to pay.”
The move follows a similar investigation launched less than a day earlier into Powered by People, a political group founded by O’Rourke. Paxton’s office claims both organizations have helped fund the absent lawmakers, citing public reports.
The Democratic lawmakers coordinated with governors in Illinois and Colorado before leaving Texas, aiming to stall the redistricting process. Many have stayed in hotels paid for by activist groups. According to ABC News, Powered by People has contributed to the Texas House Democratic Caucus to help cover lodging and transportation.
O’Rourke has maintained regular contact with the lawmakers, telling ABC News, “We will have the backs of these heroic state lawmakers for as long as it takes to stop Trump’s power grab.”
Paxton has issued formal requests for both groups to provide documents and communications related to their role in the quorum break. The Texas House, with 88 Republicans and 62 Democrats, cannot proceed on redistricting without two-thirds of members present.
Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu defended the walkout, saying, “This is not a decision we make lightly, but it is one we make with absolute moral clarity.”
Texas law allows the House sergeants-at-arms and the Department of Public Safety to locate and return absent members within the state. Democrats have used this tactic before, in 2003 and 2021, to block Republican-led legislation. Both times, they ultimately failed.
Paxton has also announced he will seek a court ruling to declare the seats of absent Democrats vacant, which could trigger special elections. The action comes after House Speaker Dustin Burrows gave lawmakers until Friday, August 8, to return to Austin and appear before the House.
