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Sunday, January 29th, 2023

Billionaire’s Lawsuit Against O’Rourke May Stifle Criticism of Money in Politics

Author:     Andy Lee Roth and Steve Macek
Source:     truthout
Publication Date:     January 28, 2023
 Link: Billionaire’s Lawsuit Against O’Rourke May Stifle Criticism of Money in Politics
Stephan:  

This is getting almost no media coverage but I think it is a very big deal and must be closely watched. Because of our grotesque wealth inequality, as a result of our rigged tax system, we are becoming an oligarchy-driven anocracy. And now, having taken over the Republican Party the oligarchs are, as this story spells out, trying to get control of the media -- the part they don't already own -- so that their nefarious activities don't get covered. Day-by-day the America you and I grew up in is ceasing to exist.

Beto O’Rourke speaks to supporters at Paso Real Hall on November 1, 2022 in Harlingen, Texas.
Credit: Sergio Flores / The Washington Post / Getty

A recent Texas lawsuit has opened a new front in the ongoing battle over the reign of money in politics, making it a prime example of how wealthy individuals and mighty corporations seek to wield political influence while avoiding public accountability.

As Jordan Uhl reported in a January 2023 article for The Lever, Kelcy Warren, a Texas billionaire whose fortune derives from gas and propane pipelines, is suing former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke for defamation, because O’Rourke publicly criticized a million dollar donation Warren made to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, in 2021.

On the campaign trail, O’Rourke criticized Abbott for failing to hold Texas oil and gas companies responsible for their role in the disastrous consequences of a February 2021 ice storm that cut power to more than 4.5 million state residents, caused hundreds of deaths — and produced a $2.4 billion profit for Warren’s company, Energy Transfer Partners, according to its first quarter earnings […]

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1 Comment

  1. Rev. Dean on Monday, January 30, 2023 at 4:43 am

    To a person my age (75 years old), we have already changed because of “Citizen’s United”, into an Oligarchy controlled by the rich people and rich companies. Not to mention, the next step is Fascism.