HOUSTON — A Harris County judge is blocking a lawsuit against Latino civil rights nonprofit FIEL for now.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing FIEL to strip the organization of its nonprofit status, all in an effort to shut it down.
The lawsuit claims FIEL violated federal nonprofit 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 First 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 the authority to sue and said in a statement sent last week, 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."
We've reached out to the attorney general's office for a response.