The twists and turns of how the Republican, who is on the cusp of winning the GOP nomination for a third term [147] He was the only state attorney general to not condemn the insurrection. The letter was signed by First Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer. Paxton says there is no evidence that the plan will mitigate climate change, directly contradicting studies by the EPA that have shown the regulation will reduce carbon pollution by 870 million tons in 2030. [171], In November 2018, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals invalidated the trial court's order approving of payments of attorneys' fees to the special prosecutors in the case, and directed the lower court to issue payments "in accordance with an approved fee schedule," siding with county commissioners in Paxton's home county of Collin County, who had rejected the prosecutors's invoice. [100] Paxton prevailed, and the court decided not only that the city of Austin must allow such carry, but also ordered it to pay a fine to the state for each day it prevented investigators from the attorney general's office from carrying their firearms. [160], Paxton's trial has been delayed multiple times[165][166] over side issues, such as the venue where the trial will take place and the amount of the special prosecutors' fees. [115], Paxton admitted to KXAN-TV that few people served time for voter fraud. Prosecutors again filed another appeal this time with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Having received the endorsement of U.S. President Donald Trump, Paxton won a second term as attorney general in the general election on November 6, 2018, narrowly defeating Democratic nominee Justin Nelson, a lawyer, and Libertarian Party nominee Michael Ray Harris by a margin of 4,173,538 (50.6 percent) to 3,874,096 (47 percent) and Harris receiving 2.4%. [172][173] After the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declined to reconsider the motion,[174] one of three prosecutors pursuing criminal charges against Paxton asked to step down from the case. "[116] Paxton's office spent almost double the time working on voter fraud cases in 2021 as it did in 2018. In April 2014, the Texas Tribune obtained documents showing that Paxton was soliciting clients while not being registered with the state board. Paxton argued that the president should not be allowed to "unilaterally rewrite congressional laws and circumvent the people's representatives." Two bills filed in the Texas House of Representatives seek to expand the Texas attorney generals power to prosecute election crimes. [73] In September 2016, Paxton and his wife had dinner with activist Amber Briggle and her family, including her trans son. Volkswagen, Apple, and MoneyGram lawsuits, Challenge to 2020 presidential election results, Securities and Exchange Commission civil action, Ethics complaints pursuant to 2020 election challenges. The 2022 Texas Attorney General election took place on November 8, 2022, where Paxton won the Attorney General of Texas office for the third time. In January 2022, the Travis County district attorney gave Paxton four days to comply or face a lawsuit. [178][179] In September the appeals court denied the prosecution appeal. One allows the office to appoint special prosecutors to such cases, while the other empowers the office to penalize local prosecutors who limit election law enforcement.. The Travis County district attorney on Thursday found that Attorney General Ken Paxton violated the state's open records law by not turning over his The year after, the unit did not secure a single human trafficking conviction and only four in 2020. "[41] Paxton sued the city of Austin again in December 2020 when the city implemented restrictions preventing indoor dining and drinking on New Years weekend amid surging COVID-19 cases. Although with his eye situation, it kind of looks like one side of his head is made of metal and either . Rogers had received media coverage as a "national hero" for waiting six hours in a line at Houston's Texas Southern University in Harris County, Texas in order to vote in the March 2020 Democratic presidential primary election. arj [49] Paxton argued that the president should not be allowed to "unilaterally rewrite congressional laws and circumvent the people's representatives. Ken Paxton in Conroe, Texas. Along with Texas, twenty other states have joined the lawsuit. Paxton nearly lost an eye when he was twelve [46], Paxton created a human trafficking unit in the AG office in 2015. [151] In December 2016, Paxton gained attention after intervening in a dispute in Killeen, Texas, in which a middle school principal told a nurse's aide to take down a six-foot poster in the school containing a quote from Christian scripture. Paxton became a candidate for Texas attorney general when the incumbent Greg Abbott decided to run for governor to succeed the retiring Rick Perry. Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr., also known as Ken Paxton, is a well-known American politician and lawyer. Learn about his eye injury. He previously held the position of Texas State Representative for the 70th district. He recently defeated Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush in the Republican primary. In his speech, Paxton told the crowd "we will not quit fighting". His parents and their three children lived in a trailer, often without air conditioning, parked outside wherever his father was temporarily stationed. [116] The costs of the 230 ongoing investigations and 360 prosecutions were formidable: The chief of election fraud is paid about $140,000, a second attorney received $97,000. [52], In 2017, Paxton voiced support for the application of eminent domain to obtain right-of-way along the Rio Grande in Texas for construction of the border wall advocated by President Donald Trump as a means to curtail illegal immigration. He paid the ensuing $1,000 fine, but it was just the tip of a series of investigations into Paxtons behavior . The Supreme Court heard the case, United States v. Texas, and issued a split 4-4 ruling in the case in June 2016. He tried to get a Harris County elections official indicted and tried for alleged interference with a poll watcher, attempting to obtain that indictment in Montgomery County. On November 4, 2002, Paxton won with 28,012 votes to Lusk's 7,074 votes and Worthington's 600 votes.[15]. [172] The special prosecutors in the case have suggested that if they are not paid, they could withdraw from prosecution of Paxton. "[62] Healey had launched a probe of ExxonMobil's historical marketing and sale of fossil fuel products, requiring the company to produce 40 years worth of documents regarding fossil fuel products and securities. [110] By May 2017, the Office of the AG's "efforts to enact and enforce the strictest voter ID law in the nation were so plagued by delays, revisions, court interventions and inadequate education that the casting of ballots in the 2016 election was inevitably troubled. Services include eye exams, eye surgery, Paxton was in the Texas State Senate from 2013 until January 2015 when his term as Attorney General began. 24-Hour Polling Places. In 2022, Paxton was sued by Fund Texas Choice, a non-profit organization aiming to prevent Paxton from prosecuting people who assist Texans to receive out-of-state abortions. Paxton's office appealed the decision. [160], The state prosecution against Paxton grows out of Paxton selling shares of Servergy Inc., a technology company, to investors in 2011. A lifelong football fan, Paxton carried a jersey autographed by Bill Bates, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys. Privacy | He captured 39.45% of the vote and moved into a runoff with Bill Vitz, whom he then defeated with 64% of the vote. Paxton has described himself as a Tea Party conservative. [80][81] On March 11, a Texas District Court issued a temporary injunction, which temporarily stopped state investigations into families who provide gender-affirming medical care for their children, and scheduled a trial for July 11, 2022. [48], Paxton led a coalition of twenty-six states challenging President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) executive action, which granted deferred action status to certain undocumented immigrants who had lived in the United States since 2010 and had children who were American citizens or lawful permanent residents. voter ID in Texas? Welcome to Election 2020 in Harris County", "Outrage as Texas governor orders closure of multiple ballot drop-off sites", "Texas Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Harris County From Sending Mail-in Ballot Applications To All Its Voters", "Texas GOP launches avalanche of bills to curtail voting", "Trump thought courts were key to winning. Attorney General Ken Paxton released a formal attorney general opinion concluding that performing certain sex-change procedures on children, and prescribing puberty-blockers to them, is child abuse under Texas law. Paxton has described himself as a Tea Party conservative. The new rule would mean workers earning up to an annual salary of $47,500 would become eligible for overtime pay when working more than 40 hours per week. Ken Paxton, who recently won the Republican primary, has a right lazy eye, also known as amblyopia. When they breached the Capitol, he falsely claimed it wasn't them", "Ken Paxton is only state attorney general in the U.S. who didn't sign letters condemning Capitol insurrection", "AG Ken Paxton must turn over Trump rally records or face lawsuit, Travis County DA says", "Texas attorney general Ken Paxton says 'overthrow' put Joe Biden in White House instead of Trump", The Texas AG sued to keep a Bible quote in school. Let us hope" (editorial), State of Texas v. Chris Hollins, 620 S.W.3d 400 (Tex. "[111], Of the voter fraud cases that his office chose to pursue, 72% were people of color. [30], In 2018, Paxton ran unopposed for re-election in the Republican primary. [38], Paxton initiated a lawsuit seeking to have the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) ruled unconstitutional in its entirety. [11] Paxton was endorsed by HuckPAC, the official political action committee of Mike Huckabee,[20] and was endorsed by the National Rifle Association. [106] However, the Associated Press reported that the top election official in Bexar County estimates that nearly six hundred affidavits submitted by voters declined to present identification and should have been declined. In 2022, Paxton was sued by Fund Texas Choice, a non-profit organization aiming to prevent Paxton from prosecuting people who assist Texans to receive out-of-state abortions. [194][195] The letter was signed by First Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer,[195][194] and the deputy and deputy attorneys general overseeing the Office's divisions for criminal investigations, civil litigation, administration, and policy. [44][45] Texas won on appeal when in a 5-4 decision the Supreme Court ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove that state Republicans acted in bad faith and engaged in intentional discrimination with respect to the 27th and 35th congressional districts. Along with Texas, twenty other states have joined the lawsuit. Paxton said that private landowners must receive a fair price when property is taken for the pending construction. [183] Paxton denied the allegations. An elbow to his face during a rowdy game of basketball shattered the bones around his right Finger Condoms. She calls her husband "a very competitive person". As a result, his good eye is green; his damaged one, brown and droopy. Now he's troubled by Muslim prayers, Texas AG's concerns over legality of Frisco high school's prayer room called 'publicity stunt' by school district, School refutes Texas AG's concerns over Muslim prayer room, "Texas attorney general indicted by grand jury on fraud charges: reports", "Ken Paxton trial to begin in September, judge says", "Grand Jury Indicts Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, on Felony Charges", "Attorney General Ken Paxton indicted on felony fraud charges", "Ken Paxton: Is his legal trouble motivated by politics? [65] Paxton has said the new regulations "may lead to disastrous consequences for our economy." Established medical practice allows for puberty blockers to be explored after initial signs of puberty, although evidence for their use is still evolving. WebWe leverage advanced diagnostic technology to provide modern eye care services, including comprehensive eye exams, vision correction, and more. [137][138][139][140] Paxton has called the pardon speculation "an absurdly laughable conspiracy theory" and said the lawsuit is about election integrity. [53], In 2017, Paxton joined thirteen other state attorneys general in filing a friend-of-the-court briefs in defense of both Trump's first and second executive orders on travel and immigration primarily from majority-Muslim countries (informally referred to as the "Muslim ban"). [119], During the 2020 election season, which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, Paxton sued Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, seeking to block him from sending applications for absentee ballots to the county's 2.4 million registered voters accompanied by instructions regarding eligibility as clarified by the Texas Supreme Court. [112] Paxton had also filed charges against Hervis Rogers, a Black man who was working two jobs. [191] With the second dismissal of the case with prejudice, the SEC could not bring new action on the same claim against Paxton. [177] The decision by the panel of three judges to move Paxton's trial back to Collin County was appealed by the prosecution in June. The Texas Attorney General hired Lawrence J. Joseph of Lawyers for Trump as special counsel for filing the suit. Paxton was re-elected to a third term as Attorney General on November 8, 2022. [43], Paxton defended Texas in a federal lawsuit involving allegations that Texas's congressional districts were gerrymandered. [204][205], In response to a complaint from Galveston Democrats that his challenges to the 2020 election were frivolous and unethical, a state disciplinary body ruled that a complaint against Paxton for professional misconduct could go forward. Paxton sided with the aide, who won in court. [155][156] Paxton's indictment marked the first such criminal indictment of a Texas Attorney General in thirty-two years since Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox was indicted for bribery in 1983. Paxton denied misconduct and said he would not resign. [169] In May 2017, the Fifth Court of Appeals of Texas agreed with Paxton that the transfer of Paxton's trial to Houston required assignment of the case to a new judge to replace Judge Gallagher and all orders issued by Judge Gallagher after the change of venue were voided. Dan Patrick, and State Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Allen)the chairman of the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee publicly called for a full investigation. "[49] The Supreme Court heard the case, United States v. Texas, and issued a split 4-4 ruling in the case in June 2016. [9][10], Paxton was born on Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota where his father was stationed while in the United States Air Force. Webwe leverage advanced diagnostic technology to provide modern eye Care services, including comprehensive exams! During a rowdy game of basketball shattered the bones around his right Finger Condoms,... P. Bush in the Republican primary `` [ 111 ], of Dallas... 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