Texas is in a world of hurt. Voters have a harder time voting than those living in most other states. Still, the Republicans in power have been trying to enact even harsher laws to block residents from voting. It became so bad that teams of Democratic lawmakers headed to Washington, D.C. to enlighten even beg national politicians for fair voting rights. Now, Texas Attorney General (AG) Warren Paxton, Jr. (R) is in big trouble.
Four former State Bar presidents and a dozen other attorneys filed a complaint letter against Paxton. They wanted him permanently disbarred, and if not that, suspended from practice.
In a 31-page complaint, they accused him of “serious ethical misconduct.” This was a condemnation against the AG for filing a lawsuit with the Supreme Court in an attempt to overthrow the 2020 election in four states. In addition, he urged people to attack the Capitol Building on January 6 for the purpose of overthrowing the U.S. government, stealing it from President Joe Biden, and handing it to Donald Trump. In addition, they charge Paxton violated “professional and ethical standards.”
Co-defendant Lawyers Defending American Democracy said:
‘[It was] an extraordinary repudiation of a Texas State Attorney General by leaders of the legal profession.’
The complaint detailed Paxton’s errant lawsuit, which was filed in December 2020. He wanted the Supreme Court to exclude the Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin votes. Then, appoint electors:
‘If given the power to appoint their own electors, the State legislatures predictably would have appointed electors who would cast their ballots for candidate Trump in the Electoral College.’
‘Alternatively, if the legislatures had appointed no electors, Mr. Trump would have won in the Electoral College, because there would have been no electors voting for Mr. Biden from those four states.
‘In either case, granting the relief Mr. Paxton sought would have overturned the results of the presidential election, converting the loser, Mr. Trump, into the winner.’
In November 2020, aides charged that the Texas AG ordered an unlawful raid on investor Nate Paul’s home and office in 2019, according to The New York Times.
The man contributed $25,000 to Paxton’s re-election campaign in 2018. He was also a friend of the AG. Paul, according to The Texas Tribune. Paxton’s resigned. In 2015, he was indicted by a Texas grand jury on charges of securities fraud and of failing to register with the state securities board in 2015.
In the most serious charge, Paxton was accused of encouraging investors in 2011 to put over $600,000 into the failing Servergy. At the same time, he made a commission on their investment and misrepresented himself as an investor, too.
In 2015, The Times reported:
‘Before the indictment, a spokesman for Mr. Paxton, Anthony Holm, was outspoken in defending Mr. Paxton. He characterized the case as a political witch hunt, suggested that an anti-Paxton blogger had engaged in jury tampering, and questioned the special prosecutors’ eagerness for news coverage and their impartiality as criminal defense lawyers.’
‘Such conduct cannot be accepted from any person licensed to practice law in the United States, much less a sitting State Attorney General. Mr. Paxton’s post-dismissal, unethical conduct was serious in its own right. Demonstrating a pattern of ethical misconduct, it made his prior conduct in the Supreme Court lawsuit even more egregious.’
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