Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton has launched bribery investigations into leftist billionaire George Soros’ Texas Majority PAC (TMP) and former Democrat Representative Beto O’Rourke’s “radical group,” Powered by People, for funding Texas Democrat lawmakers who have fled the state, rather than doing their jobs.

After dozens of Texas House Democrats fled the state in order to deny Republicans the quorum required to vote on a Congressional map redistricting proposal, Soros’ Texas Majority PAC and O’Rouke’s Powered by People began funding the fugitive Democrats’ costs, such as fines, travel and lodging.

“I've just launched an investigation into a Soros-funded PAC for unlawfully funding runaway Democrats,” AG Paxton announced Thursday. “If Texas lawmakers are bowing to the Soros Slush Fund rather than the will of the voters, Texans deserve to know.”

“Reports indicate that TMP has played a coordinating role in assisting with illegal fundraising and potentially the bribery of Texas House members,” Paxton said in a press release:

“Getting financial payouts under the table to abandon your legislative duties is bribery.”

….

“Texas Majority PAC’s actions seem to indicate that it may be using its Soros-funded resources to break the law and fund the illegal abandonment of public office. If that’s the case as determined by this investigation, there will be a heavy price to pay.”

Likewise, Paxton is probing O’Rouke’s voter mobilization organization for “unlawful activity, including potentially operating an illegal financial influence scheme to bribe runaway Democrats who fled Texas to break quorum.”

“According to public reports, Powered by People has been one of the top groups bankrolling the Texas House Democrat members who abandoned Texans and vacated their offices,” the attorney general notes:

“By providing these liberal lawmakers with the funds to flee the state, Powered by People may have violated bribery laws.”

Powered by People is reportedly funneling the money through the Texas House Democratic Caucus for any line-item expense the fugitive lawmakers incur.

Both Powered by People and the runaway Democrats may have also violated other Texas laws, such as those governing political contributions, coercion of a public servant and abuse of office, Paxton explains in a press release.

As part of his investigation, AG Paxton is seeking documents and communications from the two groups.