Ken Paxton’s impeachment cost Texas taxpayers more than $4 million
The bulk of the costs came from bills from Rusty Hardin’s law firm, according to records released this week. Full Story
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![From left, House Impeachment Manager Andrew Murr, R-Junction speaks with prosecution lawyers Dick DeGuerin and Rusty Hardin during a short recess on the second day of the impeachment trial for suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023 in Austin.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Three court of criminal appeal judges up for reelection targeted by Ken Paxton’s political revenge machine
Paxton promised to go after the Republican judges over their 2021 ruling that struck down the attorney general’s ability to unilaterally prosecute voter fraud. Full Story
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![From left: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Michelle Slaughter, Judge Barbara Hervey and Presiding Judge Sharon Keller.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
The field for the Texas primary election is set — here’s what to watch for
With both Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton out for revenge, Republican members of the Texas House are the top target on the ballot. Full Story
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![An empty chair on the House floor on Oct. 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Texas attorney general sues Pfizer, claiming vaccines didn’t end pandemic quickly enough
Experts argue other assertions made in the lawsuit filing are completely unsubstantiated, such as one claiming that vaccinated people were more likely to die from COVID-19, which Texas health data disputes. Full Story
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![State Attorney General Ken Paxton holds a press conference at the Houston Recovery Center on October 26, 2021.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Whistleblowers ask judge to order Ken Paxton, aides to sit for depositions
The motion, filed Tuesday, comes a week after a judge in Burnet County allowed the 3-year-old whistleblower lawsuit to proceed. Full Story
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![At a press conference on May 26, 2023, Attorney General Ken Paxton with aides, from left to right: Tommy Tran, executive assistant; James R. Lloyd, associate deputy attorney general for civil litigation; Austin A. Kinghorn, associate deputy attorney general for legal counsel; Ryan Fisher, director of government relations; Joshua Reno, deputy attorney general for criminal justice; Suzanna Hupp, special adviser; Brent Webster, first assistant attorney general; Lesley French, chief of staff; George Lane, adviser; Paige Willey, deputy communications director; and Ralph M. Molina, deputy attorney general for legal strategy.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton announces investigation of media group following Elon Musk’s lawsuit
After a report from Media Matters showed advertisements from major brands appeared next to antisemitic posts on X, the company sued the media watchdog group and its reporter. The Texas Attorney General’s Office plans to investigate the nonprofit for potential fraud. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Collin County Labor day picnic in Plano, Texas on Sept. 2, 2023, just days before his impeachment trial.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo for the Texas Tribune -
Republican Rep. Andrew Murr, who led impeachment of Ken Paxton, won’t seek reelection
Murr, who represents Junction, suggested he wanted to come home to spend more time with family. He had become a target of hardline conservative supporters of Attorney General Paxton. Full Story
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![Chair of the Texas House impeachment managers, state Rep. Andrew Murr holds a press conference with vice chair Ann Johnson, D-Houston, following Attorney General Ken Paxton’s acquittal verdict on the impeachment trial at the Texas capitol in Austin on Sept. 16, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
As Texas tries to end federal “parole” program for some immigrants, a Nicaraguan waits to see if he can stay
A Texas judge will decide the fate of a Biden administration program that allows people from four countries to live and work in the U.S. for up to two years. A man who sponsored his friend for the program has fought to save it. Full Story
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![Members of the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Pubic Safety at the entrance to where hundreds of migrants wait to be processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents inside a makeshift migrant camp about three hours after Title 42 ended at 9:59 p.m. local time, Friday, May 12, 2023, in El Paso.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Texas appeals court weighing whether state bar can discipline Ken Paxton for challenging 2020 presidential election
The legal battle stems from the attorney general’s unsuccessful 2020 lawsuit that leaned heavily on discredited claims of election fraud in other states. Paxton’s lawyers argue that the bar’s lawsuit is an attempt to control how he runs his office. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton steps to the podium to make a statement to the press on May 26, 2023, a day before a scheduled impeachment vote. Behind him, from left: Tommy Tran, executive assistant; James R. Lloyd, associate deputy attorney general for civil litigation; Austin A. Kinghorn, associate deputy attorney general for legal counsel; Ryan Fisher, director of government relations; Joshua Reno, deputy attorney general for criminal justice; and Suzanna Hupp, special adviser.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Burnet County judge allows Ken Paxton whistleblower lawsuit to proceed
Lawyers for employees fired by Paxton’s office after they reported him to the FBI say they plan to begin issuing subpoenas in the case. Full Story
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![State Attorney General Ken Paxton holds a press conference at the Houston Recovery Center on October 26, 2021.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton names administrative law expert with conservative bona fides Texas’ solicitor general
Aaron Nielson will take a one-year leave of absence from BYU’s law school to lead the influential unit within the attorney general’s office. Full Story
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![Aaron Nielson has been appointed Solicitor General by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.]()
Credit: Brigham Young University -
Nate Paul, the businessman at the center of Ken Paxton’s impeachment, charged with four new federal crimes
During the impeachment trial, whistleblowers testified they believed Paul to be a criminal and were concerned that Paxton was essentially turning the keys of the office over to him. Full Story
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![Nate Paul is the CEO of World Class, a real estate holding company.]()
Credit: Social media -
Tony Buzbee, Mary Nan Huffman advance to runoff for Houston City Council race
Buzbee is a high-profile lawyer who led the defense team in Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial. He is challenging Huffman, the incumbent council member. Full Story
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![Tony Buzzbee, left, and Mary Nan Huffman.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune | Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle -
Judge pauses Ken Paxton whistleblower lawsuit
Former top aides to the Texas attorney general are seeking damages for their firings after they reported Paxton to the FBI. The Legislature opted not to authorize a $3.3 million settlement in the lawsuit. Full Story
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![Whistleblower Ryan Vassar sits in the Senate Gallery on the ninth day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial at the state capitol in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 15, 2023.]()
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Trump pitches 2024 election as most important for nation’s future during Houston campaign stop
Former President Donald Trump said the acquitted attorney general should not have been impeached but that he was happy to have helped the state’s top civil lawyer. Full Story
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![Former president Donald Trump holds his first 2024 campaign rally in Waco, Texas on Mar. 25, 2023.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane/The Texas Tribune -
Harris County judge sides with Ken Paxton’s prosecutors over pay dispute in securities fraud case
Judge Andrea Beall ruled Tuesday that the prosecutors, Brian Wice and Kent Schaffer, are owed the $300-an-hour rate by the county that they were promised when they started on the case in 2015. Full Story
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![Brian Wice and Kent Schaffer, special prosecutors in the Ken Paxton security fraud case, talk to the media at the Harris County Courthouse in Houston on Aug. 3, 2023.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s securities fraud trial set for April 15
The charges stem from accusations that in 2011 Paxton tried to solicit investors in a McKinney technology company without disclosing that it was paying him to promote its stock. The attorney general has pleaded not guilty. Full Story
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![State Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a press conference at the Houston Recovery Center on Oct. 26, 2021.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Texas voters split on House, Senate handling of Paxton impeachment, poll finds
Republicans showed a more clear divide, giving the Senate higher marks than the House for how the attorney general’s impeachment was handled. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, center, talks with his defense attorney Tony Buzbee, left, before starting the ninth day of his impeachment trial in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Austin, Texas.]()
Credit: Sam Owens/Pool via San Antonio Express-News -
Texas sues to stop Border Patrol agents from cutting state’s razor wire at the border
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s latest lawsuit against the federal government claims Border Patrol agents cut through concertina wire purchased and deployed at the border by the state. Full Story
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![A U.S. Border Patrol agent cuts through razor wire to let in a group of asylum seekers who crossed the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S., September 28, 2023.]()
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Two of Ken Paxton’s top deputies depart attorney general’s office
Emails obtained by The Texas Tribune show the attorneys were expected to return to work after the impeachment trial ended and their extended absence raised concerns internally about the offices’ ability to function properly. Full Story
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![Chris Hilton and Judd Stone, former lawyers at the Office of the Attorney General.]()