Judge rules Texas AG Ken Paxton cannot shut down Latino voting rights group
A federal judge has blocked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempt to shut down Jolt Initiative, a nonprofit focused on boosting Latino civic participation, ruling Thursday that Paxton failed to provide any credible evidence the group violated the law.
Paxton had filed a state lawsuit claiming Jolt submitted “unlawful voter registration applications” and accused the group of attempting to register noncitizens. He sought to revoke Jolt’s nonprofit charter through a quo warranto petition. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman halted the case, saying Paxton appeared to be acting in bad faith and was “harassing” the organization rather than responding to evidence of wrongdoing.
Jolt’s leaders described the decision as a vindication. Executive director Jackie Bastard said the ruling confirmed what the group had long maintained: Paxton’s actions were politically motivated retaliation, not a legitimate election integrity effort.
The conflict traces back to August 2024, after debunked claims surfaced that organizations were registering migrants to vote near Texas DMV locations. Paxton’s office launched investigations into Jolt and other Latino-focused nonprofits, prompting Jolt to sue for a temporary restraining order, arguing the probe endangered staff and volunteers. While the legal fight was paused in October 2024, Paxton later pursued a new lawsuit to shut the group down.
In court filings, Paxton pointed to Jolt’s voter registration efforts near DMVs as evidence of unlawful intent, but did not provide proof of illegal registrations. Jolt maintained its volunteers complied with Texas election law, which allows an adult to submit a registration application on behalf of a minor under certain conditions.
Judge Pitman sided with Jolt, stating that Paxton had “absolutely no plausible proof” of wrongdoing and that multiple opportunities to demonstrate good faith had been missed. The ruling stops Paxton’s state lawsuit and underscores the federal court’s willingness to intervene when state actions appear retaliatory or politically motivated.
The case is the latest in a string of legal battles involving Paxton’s office targeting organizations that work with Latino and migrant communities, including previous efforts against El Paso-based Annunciation House. Jolt and other advocates said the ruling protects both the nonprofit and the broader principle of civic engagement among historically underrepresented voters.
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