Beto O’Rourke is being sued for defamation by Dallas billionaire Kelcy Warren in what the Democratic gubernatorial nominee describes as an effort to silence him from criticizing energy companies that he says made illegal profits from last year’s winter storm that left millions without power.
Warren is the chairman and CEO of Energy Transfer Partners.
“All I have done today and all I’ve done over the course of the campaign is to share these facts with the electorate that will decide the outcome of this next election,” O’Rourke said during a news conference in Dallas. “I want to make sure that there is justice for those who were killed effectively by this governor. I’ll make sure that there’s justice for the ratepayer who is now forced to foot the bill for these illegal windfall profits made by the gas companies and Energy Transfer Partners and others here in the state of Texas.”
The lawsuit against O’Rourke was filed Feb. 22 in San Saba County. It describes O’Rourke as a “failed” politician and demands he stop making and retract falsehoods made about Warren.
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The Dallas Morning News said they were seeking comment from Warren and that a spokesperson for Abbott slammed O’Rourke’s new conference.
Click here to read more on the lawsuit by our partners at The Dallas Morning News.