AUSTIN, TX – In a major victory for voting rights and the First Amendment, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pitman has issued a preliminary injunction halting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempt to dissolve the corporate charter of Jolt Initiative. In his decision, Judge Pitman found that the Attorney General brought the state court quo warranto action against Jolt in bad faith and had failed to establish any credible evidence of wrongdoing by the organization.

The ruling follows a series of escalating actions by the Attorney General that began in August 2024, when his office targeted Jolt Initiative based on debunked social media conspiracy theories. After Jolt challenged a sweeping request to examine organizational documents in 2024, the Attorney General withdrew that demand, only to file a quo warranto lawsuit in Tarrant County state court on the same day the federal case was closed in October 2025, seeking a corporate death sentence.

Judge Pitman’s decision noted that the State “cannot point to any credible evidence that any of [Jolt’s] staff or volunteers have committed conduct that even comes close” to violating Texas election law.

“Today’s decision is a resounding victory for Jolt, our volunteers, and the thousands of young Latino voters who refused to be intimidated by political bullying,” said Jackie Bastard, Executive Director of Jolt Initiative. “For over a year, we have faced a relentless campaign of harassment designed to completely crush our organization and silence our community. Judge Pitman’s finding that AG Paxton acted in bad faith confirms what we have known all along: this was never about election integrity, it was about political retaliation. We are thrilled that the court has seen through these baseless attacks, and we are ready to move forward with our mission of empowering young Latino voters in Texas,” Bastard added.

“Judge Pitman’s decision sends a strong message that Attorney General Paxton must wield his investigative and enforcement powers in a way that respects the First Amendment and voting rights,” said Jonathan Backer of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, one of Jolt’s attorneys.  “As Judge Pitman found, the Attorney General’s actions toward Jolt fail that test.”

The preliminary injunction immediately bars Attorney General Paxton from pursuing his quo warranto proceeding in Tarrant County, ensuring that Jolt can continue its vital work of voter registration, leadership training, and civic engagement without the threat of imminent dissolution.

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