NEW: Beto O’Rourke Hit With Jail Threat

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking a state judge to jail Democrat Beto O’Rourke for assisting Texas Democratic lawmakers while they remain out of state in an effort to deny passage of new congressional districts for their state.

O’Rourke, Paxton alleged in a new lawsuit, is deceiving voters who give to his organization, Powered by People, and using the money to illegally support the lawmakers’ walkout.

Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey quickly granted Paxton’s request for a temporary injunction stopping O’Rourke and Powered by People from fundraising for the out-of-state Democrats or using the money to cover their expenses.

Paxton claimed that O’Rourke violated the injunction during a rally in Fort Worth on Saturday, where he allegedly said to the crowd, “There are no refs in this game, f**k the rules.”

It’s disputed whether O’Rourke was referring to supporting the lawmakers financially or calling for other blue states to pursue redistricting in response to Texas, according to the Tribune.

Paxton pointed to other social media posts by O’Rourke, including one where he said he is “still raising and rallying to stop the steal of 5 congressional seats in Texas” and included a donation link.

Those messages and others that “repeatedly solicited donations” are a violation of the court order, said Paxton. He’s asked Judge Fahey to imprison O’Rourke for the duration of the lawsuit and fine him $500 for each violation.

An initial response by O’Rourke’s lawyers claimed Paxton was “knowingly taking a statement entirely out of context to intentionally misrepresent the statement to this Court.” They also said the Republican attorney general “misrepresents” the temporary injunction, which bars Powered by People from fundraising for “non-political purposes” but not fundraising altogether.

It’s the latest salvo in a Texas-sized battle that may determine the future of the U.S. House. Last week, Paxton joined Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to ask the state’s all-Republican Supreme Court to expel the lawmakers for fleeing the state.

Meanwhile, Paxton and House Speaker Dustin Burrows are petitioning GOP-friendly courts in Illinois to compel the Texas Democrats to return home.

Democrats left the state in large numbers last week, leaving the state House without a quorum to pass a new redistricting map in time for the 2026 election. They have spoken publicly about the hardships of affording rent, hotel rooms, food, and other basic services while hiding out in cities like Chicago and Boston.

On Tuesday, some of the Democrats began to hint that they’re close to returning home, telling a local outlet that they’ve made their point and there’s nothing more that can be done.