I recently wrote about Beto O’Rourke bringing the fire we all need to Donald Trump’s plan to rig the midterms by rigging Texas’ congressional map. That threat to democracy was, apparently, music to the ears of Texas’ Republican Governor Greg Abbott and crooked Attorney General Ken Paxton.

But now, as O'Rourke put it on Friday, "These motherfuckers are panicking." Paxton took time out from cheating on his now-estranged wife (and maybe his mortgage terms and taxes, too) to stop O’Rourke’s Powered by People group. The group has been helping the Texas Democrats who had fled the state in order to prevent a quorum the state Republicans need to rig their maps and future elections.

Paxton used Texas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which is “normally aimed at consumer scams” to go after the group’s political fundraising, Democracy Docket reported. It is “likely to draw First Amendment challenges,”

But Abbott appointee Judge Megan Fahey took less than four hours to help Paxton and the anti-democracy effort, as per The Texas Tribune.

Via The Tribune:

In her ruling, Fahey agreed with Paxton’s contention that Powered by People engaged in false, misleading or deceptive fundraising practices, and by distributing funds to Texas Democrats, writing in the ruling that the group either “directly violates or causes Texas Democratic Legislators” to violate state law and House procedures.

The group cannot use political funds to pay for travel or accommodations for “unexcused Texas legislators during any special legislative session called by the Texas Governor as consideration for a violation of such legislators’ Constitutional duties.”

The order only lasts until a hearing scheduled for August 19. That hearing will “determine whether these restrictions remain in place while the case moves forward — and whether Paxton’s aggressive legal theory survives its first real test,” Democracy Docket said.

Fortunately, O’Rourke seems unfazed.

More from The Tribune:

In a statement responding to the injunction, O’Rourke said Paxton was trying to “make examples out of those who fight so that others won’t.”

“Paxton is trying to shut down Powered by People, one of the largest voter registration organizations in the country, because our volunteers fight for voting rights and free elections, the kind of work that threatens the hold that Paxton, [President Donald] Trump and Abbott have on power in Texas,” O’Rourke said.

O’Rourke is also suing Paxton in a different court, The Tribune noted.

I believe the Texas House Democratic Caucus has not been stopped from helping the Democrats who are risking so much for democracy. You can donate here.