Texas Court Sides with O'Rourke's Powered by People in Legal Battle with Ken Paxton
A Texas appeals court has granted a partial victory to Beto O'Rourke's voter registration organization, Powered by People, dismissing claims brought against them by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The ruling lifts a temporary restraining order that had restricted the organization's fundraising activities.
The Court Ruling
On Friday, September 12th, the Fifteenth Court of Appeals unanimously decided to remove the temporary restraining order previously imposed on Powered by People. The court cited a lack of sufficient evidence presented by Paxton's office to justify the restrictions. This marks the second time the Fifteenth Court of Appeals has ruled against Paxton in recent weeks.
The court also stated that the temporary restraining order acted as a "prior restraint" on Powered by People and O'Rourke's political expression, violating their rights to free speech under both the Texas and United States Constitutions.
Paxton's Allegations
Paxton's lawsuit, filed on August 8th, accused O'Rourke and Powered by People of unlawful fundraising activity. He claimed the organization engaged in deceptive fundraising and distributed "Beto Bribes" to Democratic legislators. These allegations stem from Powered by People's donation of over $1 million to Texas Democrats who left the August special legislative session to prevent a quorum regarding a new congressional map.
Powered by People's Response
In a press release, Powered by People stated that the trial court acknowledged the temporary restraining order violated their rights to free speech. The organization maintains its innocence and argues that Paxton's claims are without merit. The Texas Supreme Court also previously ruled against Paxton in this same case last month.
