Texas AG Investigates PACs For Alleged Legal Violations
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is looking into two political action committees that supposedly broke the law by facilitating travel for Texas Democrats out of state. This was reportedly done to avoid a quorum in the midst of a conflict over constituency changes.
The PACs in question are the People PAC, spearheaded by former Congressman Beto O’Rourke, and Texas Mocility PAC, which is run by some of his former staff members.
In a news release on Wednesday, Paxton stated, “A Democrat who is involved will be held accountable for anyone who has accepted Beto’s bribes and violated the law.”
O’Rourke, who previously ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, faced tough defeats against Senator Ted Cruz in 2018 and Governor Greg Abbott in 2022.
Paxton emphasized that Texas is not for sale. “We are eager to thoroughly review all documents and communications related to this investigation. These politicians have already lost public trust by leaving the state, and Texans deserve to know if illegal payments contributed to their decisions,” he continued.
Public records indicate that the People PAC has received significant financial support from various donors through platforms like ActBlue. Notably, they have attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars from the progressive consulting firm Middle Seat, along with a $100,000 contribution from nonprofit figure Simone Coxe, a leading name in O’Rourke’s gubernatorial campaign. Additionally, the Harris Victory Fund reportedly contributed $114,000 in January 2024 and $60,000 in December 2023.
In another twist, O’Rourke had, until recently, received a mere $5,000 from Lucy Baines Johnson, the daughter of former President Lyndon Johnson.
According to the Texas Tribune, the PAC appears to support lawmakers in their out-of-state travels.
Interestingly, a previous Fox News report noted that the PAC claimed that “100% of your donation will be utilized to support Texas Democrats in their struggle against Trump’s influence.” By the end of June, the group had reported over $3.5 million in cash reserves.
It’s been highlighted that George Soros has heavily funded the Texas majority PAC.
Paxton commented on this, stating, “If Texas legislators surrender to the Soros funding instead of responding to their constituents, that amounts to bribery. The activities of the Texas majority PAC suggest they may be misusing Soros funds to unlawfully abandon their public duties. Serious consequences could arise from this investigation.”
In response to Paxton’s inquiries, O’Rourke remarked that Democrats are “terrified of accountability.” His retort implied that if the Texas GOP truly wishes to address issues of crime and corruption, they should focus on winning their own elections fairly rather than accusing others.
