a reference to the broader nationwide fight<\/a> over redistricting \u2014 a call for Democratic states to counteract Texas\u2019 redistricting push by undertaking their own partisan redrawing of political boundaries.<\/p>\n\u201cIn their zeal I guess to intimidate a political rival, they are actually lying to the court,\u201d said O\u2019Rourke\u2019s attorney, Mimi Marziani, who said she would quickly alert the court to the context of O\u2019Rourke\u2019s comments and her intention to seek sanctions against Paxton.<\/p>\n
Paxton\u2019s request to jail a political rival comes amid calls by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Paxton and their allies to arrest dozens of Democratic state lawmakers who left Texas to prevent Abbott from holding a special session to pass his ultra-partisan redistricting measure \u2014 one expected to net Republicans five seats in Congress.<\/p>\n
Paxton\u2019s motion to hold O\u2019Rourke in contempt accuses him of raising funds to directly cover the expenses and fines of the dozens of Texas Democratic lawmakers who bolted from the state to deprive Republicans a quorum to conduct legislative business. Fahey ruled that such fundraising would violate Texas laws against deceptive practices.<\/p>\n
But Marziani emphasized that Fahey\u2019s ruling was specific to raising funds that directly bankrolled the state lawmakers\u2019 effort, as opposed to general political fundraising. O\u2019Rourke, in court papers, has labeled Paxton\u2019s bid to constrain his political activity \u201cfrivolous\u201d and urged Fahey to transfer the case to his home base of El Paso.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have no basis for this lawsuit,\u201d Marziani said.<\/p>\n