AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Wednesday his office is investigating Powered by People, a political action committee, for possibly bribing Texas Democrats who left the state to break quorum.
Paxton accuses the PAC, started in 2019 by former U.S. Congressman Beto O’Rourke, of “potentially operating an illegal financial influence scheme to bribe runaway Democrats.” Members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus left on Sunday to block a vote on a new congressional map that would give Republicans an advantage in picking up five additional seats in the midterm elections.
“Texas cannot be bought,” Paxton said in a news release. “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 alleges money provided by the PAC to the Democratic members who left the state “may have violated bribery laws.” He has issued a Request to Examine, which demands documents and communications from the PAC, according to the release.
Nexstar reached out to a spokesperson for O’Rourke for comment and is waiting to hear back.
Democratic House members are being fined $500 every day they break quorum. The investigation by Paxton comes after he announced he would seek judicial orders to vacate lawmakers’ seats if they do not return to the Texas House by Friday.
Gov. Greg Abbott filed an emergency petition with the Texas Supreme Court to remove Democratic House Caucus Chair State Rep. Gene Wu, D – Houston, from his elected position. In his official filing, Abbott referenced the donations.
“Soliciting and accepting funds as consideration for the ongoing violation of legislative duties constitutes bribery under both the Texas Constitution and the Texas Penal Code,” Abbott said in a release.
A banner on the front page of the Powered by People website reads, “Texas Democrats are fighting back. Help support their efforts to stop Trump’s Redistricting.” Next to that is a link to donate money to the PAC.
The PAC’s website says it “is composed of thousands of volunteers across the country who register, stay in touch with and help turn out the voters who will help decide the most consequential elections of our lifetime. Since launching in late 2019, our volunteers have enabled us to run the largest progressive voter mobilization effort in the history of Texas.”
Brian Smith, a political professor at St. Edward’s University, said fundraising to help pay fines is not illegal because the money isn’t going into any individual candidate’s treasury.
“This is part of the optics, it’s not really bribery,” Smith said. “It’s finding a wealthy donor to help defray your cost … which is allowed in Texas.”