Texans, Once Again, Robbed of the Full Truth by AG Paxton
Special Prosecutors Owe Texans a Thorough Explanation of Sweetheart Deal
HOUSTON — Today’s announcement that prosecutors will dismiss nearly nine-year-old state felony charges against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton if he completes the terms of a deal is another instance of the state’s top lawyer evading accountability for alleged wrongdoing.
The case against Paxton dates back to the summer of 2015, only a few months after he first took office as attorney general. The indictment charged that he committed fraud by courting investors in Servergy without disclosing that the now-defunct company was paying him.
Adrian Shelley, Texas director of Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“Paxton makes the rounds with friendly right-wing media claiming his numerous legal troubles are baseless and politically motivated. But he is a no-show when forced to leave the safety of supportive interviewers or his Twitter account. He appeared briefly at an impeachment trial where he declined to testify. He is fighting tooth and nail to avoid a sworn deposition. Now, he has accepted a deal in his criminal trial that will see him perform community service and pay about $300,000 in restitution, again avoiding going to trial. Paxton’s confidence that the facts are on his side vanishes when he is about to face a little sunlight and the opportunity to tell his side of the story.
“The special prosecutors in the case, who have fought to bring the case to trial and countered long-running attempts to deny them of their pay, also owe an explanation of why a case that threatened to send Paxton to prison for up to 99 years will end following 100 hours of community service, restitution and 15 hours of legal education.”