Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is pushing for the arrest of Beto O'Rourke, alleging the former Democratic congressman defied a court order by raising funds for Democratic lawmakers who left Texas during a heated redistricting standoff, USA Today reports. At the heart of the tension is a recent court ruling that barred O'Rourke and his nonprofit, Powered by People, from soliciting money to support Democrats who fled Texas in an effort to block the GOP's proposed congressional map changes. Paxton claims O'Rourke sidestepped the order by continuing to collect donations through the ActBlue platform.
In his court filing asking a judge to jail O'Rourke, Paxton included a quote from the Democrat at a recent event—"There are no refs in this game, f--- the rules"—arguing it shows disregard for the court order. Paxton, in a public statement, vowed that O'Rourke would "find out that running your mouth and ignoring the rule of law has consequences in Texas," and called for jail time, as well as a $500 fine for contempt.
O'Rourke responded by posting the full video of his speech online, accusing Paxton of taking his remarks out of context and lying in the court filing. The quote appears to actually be referencing retaliatory redistricting efforts in other states, not the fundraising injunction, the Texas Tribune reports. O'Rourke says he's pursuing sanctions against Paxton, labeling him "corrupt" and promising to escalate the fight. Meanwhile, the Democrats remain out-of-state, with Republicans pursuing different avenues—including extradition—to force their return.