A Texas judge has blocked former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke and his political action committee from funding Democratic state lawmakers who left Texas to hold up a Republican-backed redistricting plan that could add five GOP congressional seats.

Powered by People filed a responding suit against Paxton, claiming the attorney general's investigation violated the group's right to free speech.

Texas Republicans are doing all they can to increase the pressure on Democratic legislators who left the state to stop the redistricting scheme. In one recent lawsuit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused former Rep.