Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is escalating the partisan redistricting fight by asking a judge to hold progressive activist Beto O'Rourke in contempt

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked a state court Tuesday to hold former Rep. Beto O’Rourke in criminal contempt for raising money for Democratic lawmakers who are staying out of state, alleging O’Rourke violated a court order restricting his fundraising efforts—and making claims that O’Rourke’s lawyer has slammed as an “outright lie.”

Paxton sued O’Rourke and his political group, Powered by People, last week, arguing that the group was deceptively fundraising for and illegally supporting Texas Democrats’ walkout.