Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened a new investigative front into the finances of Texas politics, this time targeting Texas Majority PAC, a political action committee alleged to have connections with billionaire investor George Soros. The investigation, which was announced yesterday, is centered around the potential for illegal coordination and bribery surrounding the group's support of Democratic lawmakers who left Texas in a bid to break quorum and stall Republican-led legislation, as reported by the Texas Attorney General's Office.
The Texas Majority PAC, which was set up by former aides to Beto O'Rourke, a past contender for Texas governor, is said to possess a strong financial backbone provided, in part, by Soros. According to a statement from the Texas Attorney General's Office, there's a suspicion that the PAC may be involved in "unlawful financial coordination and bribery" of state legislators. Paxton's rhetoric was unyielding, "Getting financial payouts under the table to abandon your legislative duties is bribery," he proclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the alleged actions of the Texas Majority PAC.
This investigation echoes Paxton's prior inquiries into Powered by People, another organization linked to O'Rourke which has drawn the AG's scrutiny. However, no findings have yet been made public regarding those allegations. The Texas Attorney General's Office has issued a formal Request to Examine to Texas Majority PAC as part of its investigation process. Paxton's office has not yet released details about any specific evidence that might have prompted the probe.
Political tensions in Texas have been high since Democrats left the state last year in an effort to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass a contentious voting reform bill. The move by the Democrats, while seen by some as a legitimate protest against what they deemed as anti-democratic legislation, has been lambasted by Republicans as an abandonment of duty. Paxton's investigation seems to be mining this vein of political dissent, adding to the narrative that financial misconduct may be at play. "If Texas lawmakers are bowing to the Soros Slush Fund rather than the will of the voters, Texans deserve to know," Paxton stated, suggesting significant repercussions should any illegal activity be confirmed, as stated by the Texas Attorney General's Office.
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