Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Is in More Hot Water

Attorney General Ken Paxton beat out Texas Land Attorney George P. Bush, nephew to President George W. Bush, in the Texas Primary run-off on Tuesday, May 24th. Paxton will move forward to face Democratic opponent Rochelle Garza in the November general election for Texas Attorney General later this year.

Paxton will represent the Republican party in November for Texas Attorney General while still awaiting his own criminal trial. However, a new lawsuit muddies the waters further.

Back in 2015, Paxton was indicted on charges of felony security fraud charges in connection to a software company. Paxton is alleged to have encouraged investors to invest in a software company that he himself had no personal investments in but is accused of accepting shares as payment for bringing in investors. Paxton pleaded not guilty in his indictment, but if convicted would face 5 to 99 years in prison.

The trial has had many conflicts surrounding its delay even as Paxton invoked his right to a speedy trial. Factors such as the trial being moved to and from different counties, appeals from prosecutors over payment, and an investigation by the FBI have played a role in the delay.

Now, Paxton is facing a lawsuit on top of his indictment and an FBI investigation.

The State Bar of Texas has filed a professional misconduct lawsuit against Paxton over what they call a "dishonest" attempt to flip four states' electoral votes from at-the-time Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to incumbent Republican President Donald Trump. Those states were: Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Biden won all four states in the 2020 election, paving the way to an electoral college win of 306-232 and becoming the 46th President of the United States. 

Following the 2020 president election, Paxton, in his role as Texas AG, filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court over the results in those battleground states. That lawsuit was tossed due to lack of standing. The court wrote in its ruling: "Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections."

The State Bar of Texas is alleging that "as a result of [Paxton's] actions, Defendant States were required to expend time, money, and resources to respond to the misrepresentations and false statements contained in these pleadings and injunction requests even though they had previously certified their presidential electors based on the election results prior to the filing of Respondent’s pleadings."

The lawsuit seeks to sanction Paxton and could result in private reprimand or disbarment. Some officials see the lawsuit as a possibility to dispel the rumor that the presidential election was "stolen" as the State Bar of Texas moves forward with their suit.

According to the Texas Tribune, Paxton asserted in response to the lawsuit that the State Bar of Texas is controlled by "leftists" and said that he won't be bullied by them.

Paxton received President Trump's endorsement for Texas AG on May 24th. If re-elected, it would be his third term.