AG Paxton investigates Soros-backed Texas Majority PAC for potential bribery
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday announced an investigation into a political action committee to see if it is breaking laws by funding Texas Democrats that left the state in an attempt to stop the passage of redrawn congressional maps.
Texas Majority PAC is a political action committee heavily funded by Democratic donor George Soros, according to Transparency USA.
Paxton's investigation into Texas Majority PAC comes a day after he opened a similar investigation into Beto O'Rourke's Powered by People group.
Paxton investigates Texas Majority PAC
In a release Thursday, Paxton said he was investigating claims that TMP played a role in funding state Democrats who left the state to break quorum in the Texas House.
Specifically, Paxton said he was looking for "illegal fundraising" and "bribery of Texas House members."
AG Paxton accuses Beto O'Rourke's org. of illegally funding quorum break
Paxton said Wednesday that any "Democrat coward" found to have taken a "Beto Bribe" in an attempt to prevent the mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts will be held accountable.
Paxton called TMP part of "a growing number of far-left orgainizations attempting to suvert the will of Texas voters."
What they're saying:
"If Texas lawmakers are bowing to the Soros Slush Fund rather than the will of the voters, Texans deserve to know. Getting financial payouts under the table to abandon your legislative duties is bribery," Paxton said. "Texas Majority PAC’s actions seem to indicate that it may be using its Soros-funded resources to break the law and fund the illegal abandonment of public office. If that’s the case as determined by this investigation, there will be a heavy price to pay."
Can Democrats' seats be vacated?
The attorney general announced on Tuesday that he will seek judicial orders to declare lawmakers who left the state to have vacated their office if they do not return by Friday, Aug. 8. If these orders were to go through, the legislators would lose their seats.
Tuesday night, Gov. Greg Abbott filed a lawsuit asking the Texas Supreme Court to remove Texas Democrat Caucus Chair Gene Wu from office.
Abbott filed an emergency petition to the Supreme Court of Texas for Wu's removal, citing his Sunday promise to attempt to do so for Democrats who left the state to prevent redistricting efforts.
Abbott said Sunday that if the Democrat lawmakers were not back in office by the time the House reconvened Monday at 3 p.m., efforts to remove them would begin. Wu's removal is the first official attempt to be made.
The lawsuit claims that Wu's actions as the state House's party leader, along with other Democrats who broke quorum, are an abandonment of their office. According to the governor, this justifies their permanent removal from their positions.
In a statement, Wu said denying a quorum in the House was not an abandonment of office, but an upholding of his oath to the office, which he said did not belong to him or Abbott and instead belonged to the voters in his district.
"To Governor Abbott: You have failed the people of Texas, and you are using the courts to punish those who refused to fail with you," Wu said. "My purpose has been clear from the start: to serve my constituents and fight for what's right, no matter the cost. You will find that my commitment to the people of Texas is unbreakable."
Texas Democrats break quorum
The backstory:
A large number of Texas Democrat lawmakers left the state on Sunday, preventing a quorum being present to take action on a proposal to redraw Texas congressional districts. Since then, President Donald Trump, Governor Greg Abbott, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, and Paxton have been among the loudest voices calling for their arrests and removal from office if they do not return within the week.
U.S. Senator John Cornyn gets approval for FBI to help find 'runaway Texas House Democrats'
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, got approval for the FBI to help Texas law enforcement locate state legislators who have fled the state to prevent a quorum and stall the legislative process.
Trump had said his administration expected to pick up five extra Republican seats by redrawing the Texas map.
The Source: Information on Ken Paxton's investigation comes from a release from the attorney general's office. Information on donors to Texas Majority PAC comes from Transparancy USA. Information on the Democrats' quorum break comes from previous FOX 7 reporting.