This week, one of the bigger stories of the news cycle inolved Texas Democrats fleeing the jurisdiction to block a state legislature quorum, recreating their 2021 walkout stunt.
Dems blocked the quorum to avoid a vote on the plan to redraw the congressional maps for the state.
It turns out, the move was reportedly bankrolled by a PAC affiliated with Beto O’Rourke, as well as George Soros.
Per the state’s constitution, Texas can only reach a quorum if at least 100 of the 150 members of the state legislature are present.
So, roughly five dozen Democrats fled the state, going to states such as Massachusetts, New York, and Illinois, where they held press conferences to explain their move.
This was quite an expensive PR stunt by Democrats, and there was speculation that it was being funded by their campaign coffers or possibly even taxpayer money.
As it turns out, the funding apparently came via sources tied to Beto O’Rourke and George Soros. Now, the Texas attorney general and governor are probing whether they broke federal laws.
Soros is no stranger to controversy, as he has been on the radar of conservatives for decades.
He more or less became a household name during the George Floyd protests, as there was much speculation that Soros-funded groups were the ones providing financial backing to the demonstrators.
Democrats who fled Texas are now facing significant fines, but O’Rourke has reportedly been in contact with key liberal groups involved to get donors to bankroll the fines imposed on the lawmakers so they don't have to pay them out of pocket.
The question now surrounds the legality of that funding.
When the reports about the Soros and O’Rourke funding first broke, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton jumped all over the situation quickly announcing a probe.
Paxton stated, “Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto Bribe will be held accountable. Texas cannot be bought. I look forward to thoroughly reviewing all of the documents and communications obtained throughout this investigation.”
He continued, “These jet-setting runaways have already lost public trust by abandoning our state, and Texans deserve to know if they received illegal bribes to do it.”
According to the report, O’Rourke’s group has fronted the costs of airfare, hotels, and other logistical expenses for the state reps. The legalities of all this are murky, at best, but I am sure that it will all come out in the wash if and when these cases are litigated.
