Grand Jury Halts Paxton Land Sale Investigation

^{*Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from special prosecutors Bob Gill and Miles Brissette.}

A Collin County grand jury looking into a 2004 land sale tied to a business group involving Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has decided to drop its investigation, a lawyer for the McKinney Republican said Wednesday.

Since November, two special prosecutors appointed by state District Judge George Gallagher of Fort Worth have been looking into criminal allegations related to a sale of land that later became the site of Collin Central Appraisal District. The sale involved a limited partnership that included Paxton, Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis and eight other partners. 

Paxton lawyer Bill Mateja said in a statement that the attorney general and his legal team were confident from the beginning that the grand jury would take no action. 

"We would like to thank the special prosecutors for their diligence in reviewing all aspects of this matter and for reaching out to General Paxton to obtain his cooperation in their investigation," Mateja said.

Special prosecutors Bob Gill and Miles Brissette issued a statement Wednesday afternoon confirming the development.

"After reviewing voluminous documents, hearing the testimony of numerous witnesses and conducting an exhaustive examination of all relevant information, the grand jury concluded that no further action was warranted," they said.

The land sale investigation is separate from the securities fraud case a second set of special prosecutors is pursuing against Paxton. He is accused of soliciting investors for a technology firm without disclosing the company was compensating him. Yet to stand trial, Paxton pleaded not guilty to the three felony charges he faces in August.