Lawmakers must ask: Why should taxpayers bail AG Ken Paxton out on this screw-up? Opinion

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

It sometimes seems that there is no check on Attorney General Ken Paxton’s malfeasance and ineptitude.

So, we were heartened to see House Speaker Dade Phelan declare that Paxton would have to justify to the Legislature why taxpayers should cover a settlement with former Paxton employees who allege the attorney general retaliated against them for reporting bribery allegations against him.

In the end, the state is probably going to cough up the $3.3 million. It’s an employment case against the agency, not against Paxton personally. But if it opens the door to some real legislative oversight over Paxton’s tenure, it’ll be worth every penny.

If you can’t keep track of the myriad Paxton scandals, we don’t blame you. In this case, the McKinney Republican fired four top deputies who were part of a group that went to law enforcement with allegations of abuse of office. They contended that Paxton acted to help a campaign donor and a woman with whom he was having an affair. Paxton has denied the claims.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/lawmakers-must-ask-why-taxpayers-112700361.html

[Javaman]

1. because texas, the only fascist state in the nation, always helps one of the good old boys. nt

[Sucha NastyWoman]

2. We're hardly the only one

Just one of the worst.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. AG Ken Paxton likely committed impeachable crimes, Texas House investigators say

Paxton attacked the Texas speaker last night because Paxton knew what was coming. AG Paxton asked the Texas legis to fund a $3.3 million settlement of a lawsuit filed against Paxton by some whistleblowers. Instead of funding the settlement of this lawsuit, the House conducted a hearing on Paxton and found a great deal. Ken Paxton needs to impeached and removed and then tried for his crimes

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https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/paxton-misconduct-texas-house-18116717.php?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=sftwitter

A Texas House committee on Wednesday heard explosive new testimony from lawyers investigating Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, including that he appeared to provide a friend with confidential FBI documents and committed other potentially impeachable crimes in an effort to help him retaliate against business competitors and federal officials.

Many of the details are part of a whistleblower suit that accuses Paxton of firing four top aides as retaliation after they reported the alleged misconduct to federal authorities.

The FBI is reportedly looking into those claims, but Wednesday’s testimony painted the fullest picture yet of the multiple ways in which Paxton allegedly leveraged the resources of his office to help the friend and campaign donor, Nate Paul. Paul, an Austin real estate investor, donated $25,000 to Paxton’s re-election campaign in 2018......

The House investigators, a group of five attorneys with experience in public integrity law and white collar crime, said they reviewed hundreds of pages of documents, including emails, contracts and criminal complaints, and interviewed 15 people. All but one stated they had “grave concerns” regarding Paxton showing hostility or retaliation toward them for their participation.

Paxton signed a settlement with the whistleblowers in February for $3.3 million, but the deal is effectively dead because the Legislature has declined to fund it this session, which whistleblowers have said was a condition of the agreement. The session ends May 29. The whistleblowers' attorneys have asked the Texas Supreme Court to continue on with the suit.

These clips from this hearing are amazing. Paxton needs to be impeached and then tried for his crimes. If Collin County will not do this, then the FBI/DOJ should prosecute this asshole

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