The fight between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democrat activist Beto O’Rourke just escalated from political feud to possible jail time. Paxton has filed a motion for contempt against O’Rourke, accusing him of violating a court order that barred him from raising money for statehouse Democrats who fled Texas to delay mid-decade redistricting.

According to Paxton, a Tarrant County judge’s temporary restraining order was clear — O’Rourke and his group “Powered by People” were to stop soliciting funds for the runaway Democrats. But less than 24 hours later, O’Rourke took the stage at a Fort Worth rally and allegedly did exactly that, telling attendees to donate and giving out a text code for contributions. Paxton says that move directly defied the court’s authority and warrants up to a $500 fine and six months in jail.

“Robert Francis flagrantly and knowingly violated the court order I secured,” Paxton told Breitbart News in an exclusive statement. “It’s time to lock him up.” He accused O’Rourke of believing he is “above the law” and warned that ignoring Texas court orders has consequences.

O’Rourke, who has previously run unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate, the presidency, and the Texas governorship, has used Republicans’ push to redraw congressional maps as a rallying cry for Democrats. By backing lawmakers who fled Austin, he aims to slow the process and energize his party’s base ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Paxton’s office argues O’Rourke’s own words prove the violation. At the rally, O’Rourke reportedly told the crowd, “One of the worst things we could do to Ken Paxton is to… choose to donate,” before encouraging supporters nationwide to back the Democrat fugitives. He even brushed off the rules entirely, declaring, “There are no refs in this game, f*ck the rules, we are going to win whatever it takes.”

Paxton countered that there is a referee — the judge who issued the order — and there are rules, namely Texas law that penalizes anyone who violates a temporary restraining order. He emphasized that O’Rourke’s actions could land him in jail and that no amount of political posturing changes that.

The clash comes as Democrats in multiple states flirt with mid-decade redistricting of their own in retaliation for Republican efforts. O’Rourke has encouraged blue states to act first, while Paxton has sought to shut down what he calls deceptive fundraising schemes designed to undermine Texas’s constitutional process.

O’Rourke is no stranger to controversy. His past includes a 1998 DWI arrest, during which officers alleged he tried to flee the scene — a claim he denies. The charges were dropped after he completed a diversion program, but the incident has dogged his political career.

Whether this latest confrontation ends in another round of political theater or an actual jail sentence will depend on the court’s response. For now, Paxton is making it clear — in Texas, he intends to enforce the rules, even if it means locking up one of the state’s most high-profile Democrats.