Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed an emergency application for a temporary restraining order with a Tarrant County District Court, urging it to protect its jurisdiction following a flawed anti-suit injunction ruling by an El Paso District Court. 

Despite claiming that “there are no referees in this game, f*** the rules,” O’Rourke is attempting to change both the referee and the rules governing the ongoing proceedings in Tarrant County—where he is losing. On August 19, an El Paso judge issued an unfounded temporary restraining order that unlawfully purports to restrict the Attorney General from seeking to revoke the corporate charter of Powered by People in the ongoing Tarrant County District Court proceedings.

In the Tarrant County proceedings, Attorney General Paxton obtained a temporary restraining order halting the deceptive fundraising scheme by O’Rourke, and he moved to revoke Powered by People’s charter to conduct business in Texas due to its unlawful actions. 

“A biased El Paso judge is threatening to ignite a constitutional crisis in a desperate bid to protect Robert Francis,” said Attorney General Paxton. “The court has no authority to give itself appellate jurisdiction over an independent court hundreds of miles away. I have asked the Tarrant County District Court to protect its lawful jurisdiction in this matter. Beto cannot switch referees nor invent new rules just because he is losing. I will fight to uphold the rule of law and to hold those accountable who violate our laws.”

To read the filing, click here.