Texas Attorney General Opens Investigation Into Soros-Funded Political Action Committee
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has escalated his fight with state Democrats, announcing a sweeping investigation into Texas Majority PAC (TMP), a political action committee partially funded by billionaire financier George Soros. Paxton’s office accuses the group of engaging in illegal coordination, bribery, and financial misconduct to aid Democratic lawmakers who recently fled the state to block legislation.
In a fiery public statement, Paxton framed the probe as essential to safeguarding Texas’ democratic process.
“This investigation is about protecting the integrity of our legislature,” he declared. “If Texas lawmakers are bowing to the Soros Slush Fund rather than the will of the voters, Texans deserve to know. Getting financial payouts under the table to abandon your legislative duties is bribery.”
TMP Under Scrutiny
The attorney general alleges that Texas Majority PAC used donor contributions to facilitate and incentivize the dramatic walkout staged by dozens of House Democrats last week. Their exodus paralyzed the chamber by depriving Republicans of the quorum needed to move forward with legislation during a special session.
Paxton has issued a formal Request to Examine to TMP, demanding records that could prove whether the group coordinated directly with lawmakers. The attorney general also raised alarms over TMP’s ties to George Soros, pointing to what he characterized as the dangerous influence of foreign-connected wealth in Texas politics.
“Texas Majority PAC’s actions seem to indicate that it may be using its Soros-funded resources to break the law and bankroll the illegal abandonment of public office,” Paxton said. “If that’s the case, there will be a heavy price to pay.”
A Pattern of Outside Influence
Paxton emphasized that TMP isn’t the only organization under the microscope. His office is also probing Powered by People, an O’Rourke-aligned group accused of helping coordinate the walkout.
“There is a pattern here,” Paxton alleged. “Radical groups, flush with out-of-state money, are interfering with the legislative process in Texas. We’re going to expose that network and hold every part of it accountable.”
The Quorum Crisis
The standoff began on August 4, when dozens of Democratic lawmakers abruptly left Texas to block Republican-backed measures, including voting legislation. Their departure left the House unable to meet quorum requirements, effectively shutting down legislative business.
Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows swiftly responded by issuing arrest warrants for the absent Democrats under Article III, Section 10 of the Texas Constitution and House rules authorizing detention of members who abandon the chamber without permission.
Paxton backed Burrows’ move, saying:
“Speaker Burrows immediately issued warrants for the arrest of runaway Democrats who fled Texas, abandoned their constituents, and abdicated their legislative duties. We are pursuing every legal remedy at our disposal to hold these rogue legislators accountable. Texas deserves representatives who do their jobs instead of running away at the behest of their billionaire handlers. If there’s one thing Texans can’t stand more than losers, it’s cowards.”
Burrows reinforced the point in his own statement, insisting the state has no choice but to act.
“From day one, I have said that all options are on the table when it comes to making sure my colleagues who fled the House return to fulfill their constitutional obligations,” he said. “Because they continue to refuse their responsibilities, Texas must pursue additional legal remedies.”
Legal Battles Across State Lines
The Texas House has asked Paxton’s office to enforce the arrest warrants across state borders, including in Illinois, where several Democrats are believed to be residing during their self-imposed exile.
At the same time, Paxton has taken the fight to the Texas Supreme Court, filing legal action connected to a quo warranto petition submitted by Governor Greg Abbott against Democratic Representative Gene Wu. That petition contends that lawmakers who fail to return by the deadline set by Speaker Burrows may have effectively vacated their offices.
“Texas is taking every available avenue to force runaway Democrats to return and to hold them accountable for breaking quorum,” Paxton explained. “The Office of the Attorney General has the legal authority to bring these cases against renegade House members. I have already notified the Texas Supreme Court that I will file additional actions on Friday if the Democrats continue to defy their duties.”
In a formal letter to the Court, Paxton’s office underscored that precedent is clear: quo warranto proceedings “can only be brought by the attorney general, a county attorney, or a district attorney.” For that reason, the letter urged the justices not to dismiss Governor Abbott’s petition before Burrows’ deadline passes and Paxton’s arguments can be fully heard.
High-Stakes Political Showdown
The investigation into Texas Majority PAC has now added yet another layer of tension to an already explosive standoff between Texas Republicans and Democratic lawmakers backed by national donor networks. Paxton has consistently accused Democrats of acting “at the behest of radical donors and D.C. operatives,” and now suggests that funders like TMP could be legally liable for enabling public officials to abandon their sworn duties.
In his closing remarks, Paxton delivered a warning:
“We will not let Texas be held hostage by billionaires with an anti-democratic agenda. If TMP or any other PAC coordinated with elected officials to abandon their duties, that’s not activism—that’s a crime.”
The widening probe underscores just how far Texas Republicans are prepared to go in their battle with Democrats who chose to leave the state. What began as a quorum dispute has now spiraled into a full-blown legal and political confrontation, one that could reshape the boundaries of both political protest and campaign finance in Texas.