O’Rourke’s PAC Financed Lawmakers’ Exit—Now It’s Being Investigated

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched a criminal investigation into Beto O’Rourke’s PAC, which paid for Texas Democrats to flee the state on a private jet and block a GOP redistricting vote.

Key Facts:

  • Beto O’Rourke’s PAC, Powered by People, reportedly funded a private jet for Texas Democrats to flee to Illinois.
  • The Democrats left to prevent a quorum on a GOP-led redistricting vote in the Texas legislature.
  • The PAC, with a $3.5 million war chest, also covered lodging and logistical costs for the trip.
  • Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a criminal investigation into the legality of this funding.
  • Paxton said the probe will explore whether any bribery or campaign finance laws were violated.

The Rest of The Story:

Texas Democrats boarded a private jet bound for Illinois in a high-profile effort to block a Republican redistricting vote by denying quorum. The private travel and related expenses were reportedly covered by Beto O’Rourke’s PAC, Powered by People, which holds millions in political funding.

According to the Texas Tribune, O’Rourke’s group paid for air transport, hotels, and other support costs. “Every dollar the group receives going forward will go toward supporting the walkout,” the report said. These actions caught the attention of Attorney General Ken Paxton, who announced a criminal investigation on August 6.

“We’re going to find out if they’ve done anything inappropriate, whether it’s a bribe or whether some type of other campaign finance laws were broken,” Paxton said during an appearance on The Chris Salcedo Show.

He also posted on X: “Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto Bribe will be held accountable.”

Commentary:

The situation unfolding in Texas is not a principled protest—it’s a political stunt bankrolled by deep-pocketed left-wing interests. When state lawmakers abandon their posts and use out-of-state hideouts to halt legislative business, they’re not serving the people—they’re serving themselves.

These lawmakers earn $7,200 annually, yet took a private jet out of Texas and holed up in Illinois with full accommodations. That kind of lavish defiance doesn’t happen without major money behind it, and in this case, it came from Beto O’Rourke’s PAC.

This isn’t grassroots action—it’s manufactured obstruction with a price tag. O’Rourke and his allies are using campaign cash to prop up political theater. In the private sector, employees who fled the job to make a statement would be fired. Yet these Democrats expect praise for abandoning the responsibilities they were elected to uphold.

The fact that liberal governors are providing shelter for these lawmakers only reinforces how coordinated this game really is. It’s not just a spontaneous walkout—it’s a multi-state, partisan campaign built on money and media attention.

Attorney General Paxton’s investigation may push legal boundaries with talk of “bribery,” but he’s right to scrutinize the political infrastructure that funds this behavior.

Even if no laws were directly broken, it’s entirely appropriate to ask if PAC spending is being weaponized in ways that erode the function of our democratic republic.

It’s time for Texas Democrats to stop the charade, return home, and do the job they were elected to do. Legislating through absence is not democracy. It’s manipulation.

The Bottom Line:

Texas Democrats fled the state to block a redistricting vote, using a private jet and luxury lodging paid for by Beto O’Rourke’s PAC. Now, the state’s Attorney General is launching a criminal probe into whether this funding crossed legal lines.

The spectacle may play well on cable news, but it raises serious concerns about political accountability, ethical conduct, and the integrity of public service.

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