District court grants temporary restraining order to prevent Beto O’Rourke’s organization from fundraising for absent Democrats

Update (5:00 PM): A Texas district court granted a temporary restraining order to halt all expenditures and fundraising by Beto O'Rourke and his organization Powered by People while litigation continues.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed his lawsuit trying to obtain a restraining order just a few hours ago.

AUSTIN, Texas (KVIA) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing El Pasoan Beto O'Rourke and his organization, Powered by People, for their alleged involvement in fundraising for the Democrats who left the state amid the redistricting fight.

Several Democratic state lawmakers left Texas earlier this week in an effort to stop the House from voting on a newly-redistricted Congressional map.

Earlier, Paxton launched an investigation against O'Rourke and Powered by People and accused them of possible bribery.

Paxton is now alleging that O'Rourke's organization "intentionally misled donors" by branding the money raised for absent Democrats as political fundraising.

"By knowingly blurring the distinction, O’Rourke and Powered by People sought to take advantage of uninformed donors by directing them to explicitly political fundraising platforms, all while intending to use the funds for purposes they understood to be constituted as personal expenditures," Paxton's office alleges. "Texas law prohibits organizations from engaging in false, misleading, and deceptive acts, such as the fundraising scheme operated by O’Rourke and Powered by People."

In the past few days, O'Rourke has been speaking publicly in support of the Democrats who left the state.

"If we stop the Texas steal & win the House, your guy’s crimes & corruption will be exposed for all to see," O'Rourke posted on social media Thursday.

Paxton requested a temporary restraining order and an injunction to prevent O'Rourke and Powered by People from raising more money.