“Here, the State provides very few particularized factual allegations in its Petition to support its Motion for Leave, instead relying upon sweeping but unsupported claims about Jolt’s motives, beliefs and activities,” Jolt said.
The Jolt Initiative, a nonprofit organization that builds civic participation among Latinos, has filed a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Pen Paxton.
According to The Texas Tribune, earlier this week, on Monday, Paxton announced that he was seeking to revoke the nonprofit’s charter. In a statement, Paxton alleged that the Jolt Initiative has orchestrated “a systemic, unlawful voter registration scheme.”
Jolt, for its part, says that Paxton’s complaint is retaliatory.
“Jolt is simply the latest target of his unlawful campaign to undermine and silence civil rights groups in Texas,” said attorney Mimi Marziani, who is representing the Jolt Initiative.
The Texas Tribune notes that, in August 2024, Fox News host Maria Bartiromo published a Twitter post suggested that an anonymous “friend” had seen organizations registered migrants to vote outside of state driver’s license facilities in Fort Worth and Weatherford.
An investigation led by local officials found there was no evidence to support Bartiromo’s conspiratorial claims, but Paxton latched on, launching investigations against nonprofits including Jolt.
During its preliminary investigation, Paxton’s office purportedly sent an undercover agent to a Department of Motor Vehicles location near San Antonio; upon arrival, the agent attempted to register a make-believe daughter to vote. Though the daughter was not present, a Jolt volunteer deputy registrar still gave the agent advice on how to register his absent daughter.
Notably, when the agent asked to take a registration form for his daughter, the Jolt volunteer refused; the agent then said that they still inferred that the Jolt deputy was willing to tolerate fraud.
“I stated in a question format that I couldn’t have one, and [the VDR] replied that since I have her information, I could register her to vote, alluding to being a parent and that I had that right,” the undercover agent wrote. “This was inferring that I could sign her voter registration card, and while [the VDR] made this statement he overtly looked away. This is not only incorrect but illegal per election code.”
Jolt contests the legality of this claim, but Paxton’s office suggests that Jolt’s decision to launch voter registration drives outside of Department of Motor Vehicle locations is indicative of an ulterior motive.
“This is because U.S. citizens can already register to vote at any DMV with proof of citizenship,” a court document said. “Thus, there is no need for a VDR at such locations.”
Paxton, who filed the lawsuit in a Tarrant County court, described Jolt as a “radical” organization with a history of “corrupting” voter rolls.
“JOLT is a radical, partisan operation that has, and continues to, knowingly attempt to corrupt our voter rolls and weaken the voice of lawful Texas voters,” Paxton said in a press release. “I will make sure they face the full force of the law.”
In response, Jolt seemed to characterize Paxton’s lawsuit as a set of unsubstantiated and grossly speculative claims.
“Here, the State provides very few particularized factual allegations in its Petition to support its Motion for Leave, instead relying upon sweeping but unsupported claims about Jolt’s motives, beliefs and activities,” Jolt said.
Sources
Texas Latino civic group sues to block AG Ken Paxton from shutting it down
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