In a slew of legal filings late Friday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke for “unlawful fundraising activity” and asked the state’s Supreme Court to vacate the seats of 13 quorum-breaking House Democrats.
The move comes after House Democrats, despite threats of arrest, broke quorum for a fourth straight day of the current session, fleeing to blue states in a bid to block Republicans’ plan to redraw Texas’ political maps, which could give the party as many as five additional congressional seats. Gov. Greg Abbott initiated the scheme at the command of President Donald Trump, who’s concerned his unpopularity is likely to cost the GOP control of the U.S. House.
“These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold,” Paxton, an unyielding Trump loyalist, said in a statement. “Their out-of-state rebellion cannot go unchecked, and these businesses of Texas must go on.”
Paxton, in his legal filing against O’Rourke, alleges that the one-time candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination and his grassroots organization, Powered by People, “intentionally misled donors to fund runaway Democrats’ personal expenses, despite advertising it as political fundraising.”
Powered by People this week announced it’s covering the daily $500 fine for some House Democrats breaking quorum.
“This out-of-state, cowardly cabal is abandoning their constitutional duties,” Paxton said in a statement. “I will not allow failed political has-beens to buy off Texas elected officials. I’ll see you in court, Beto.”
Meanwhile, Paxton on Friday also filed paperwork with the Texas Supreme Court to vacate the seats of 13 Democratic House members breaking quorum, including state Reps. Ron Reynolds; Vikki Goodwin; Hina Hinojosa; James Talarico; Lulu Flores; Mihaela Plesa; Suleman Lalani; Chris Turner; Ana-Maria Ramos; Jessica Gonzalez; John Bucy III; and Christina Morales.
Paxton’s suit also includes House Democratic Caucus leader Gene Wu. Abbott filed a similar lawsuit against Wu on Tuesday.
Chad Dunn of Brazil & Dunn, Wu’s legal counsel, in a statement called Abbott and Paxton’s attempts to remove their client and other Democrats from office “flat-out unconstitutional.” Legal scholars have noted that suits to remove lawmakers for breaking quorum — something that’s happened regularly in the Texas Legislature going back to TK — face long odds in court.
“The power to discipline a legislator for breaking quorum belongs to the House of Representatives, not the Governor’s office or the judiciary,” Dunn said. “This is a foundational principle of our democracy, and the Governor’s coordinated legal attack is a dangerous assault on the separation of powers.”
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This article appears in Aug 7-20, 2025.
