HOUSTON — FIEL, a civil rights organization based in Houston, wants a court to reject a request from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to shut down the non-profit.
Paxton filed a lawsuit last month, claiming FIEL violated federal non-profit rules by allegedly participating in electioneering. The lawsuit claims FIEL depicted Donald Trump as the "son of the devil” and campaigned against Texas legislation.
Paxton argues that while the 1st Amendment guarantees a person's right to free speech, 501(c)(3) organizations must operate for the public benefit and cannot campaign on political matters or for candidates.
Attorneys for FIEL argue that Paxton does not have authority to sue and in a statement said, in part, “This most recent attack by the Texas attorney general demonstrates his reckless leadership, retaliatory nature, and unwavering desire to target nonprofit organizations that he disagrees with."