FBI Subpoenas Texas AG Ken Paxton As Texas Lawsuit Heads To SCOTUS Over Whistleblower Report
Federal agents just served at least one subpoena on the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in an ongoing investigation into allegations that Paxton abused his power and helped a donor.
This comes after Paxton filed a lawsuit that was quickly joined by at least 17 other states and by 106 GOP Reps challenging the election results in swing states Trump lost.
Ted Cruz is slated to argue the case for President Trump should the Supreme Court take it up while Texas and the other states have not publicly revealed who will argue their portion of the case.
From The Statesman:
Three sources confirmed to the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV that FBI agents delivered the request for information to the agency’s headquarters on West 14th Street. The sources did not immediately know how many subpoenas were issued or what information FBI agents sought.
Federal authorities are investigating claims by former top Paxton aides that he used his position to aid Austin investor Nate Paul, whose offices were raided by the FBI last year.
FBI spokeswoman Michelle Lee said Thursday that she could not comment, and the agency has not publicly confirmed an investigation. A spokesman for the attorney general’s office did not return calls seeking comment, but Paxton has denied any wrongdoing.
From The Texas Tribune:
A Houston appeals court has pressed pause on a ruling that would have allowed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to stand trial for felony securities fraud in his hometown of Collin County.
That Oct. 23 ruling came three years after the case was first sent to Harris County, with prosecutors arguing they could not get a fair trial prosecuting Paxton in a part of the state where he and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, are deeply politically connected.
Paxton is accused of persuading investors to buy stock in a technology firm without disclosing he would be compensated for it. He has maintained his innocence and dismissed the charges as politically motivated.
The 1st Court of Appeals in Houston has, for now, blocked the case from resuming in Collin County — likely further delaying the five-year-old case — as it considers the issues.
Paxton was indicted in 2015, but has yet to go to trial amid side battles like the venue dispute and an argument over how much the prosecutors should be paid.
Two things about this strike me:
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) December 10, 2020
1) It’s almost certainly an illegal leak.
2) It’s highly suspicious timing with his lawsuit gaining real momentum. https://t.co/FIf8iMDna3