So, yeah, that Attorney General Ken Paxton. The beautiful legal mind who said clerks could refuse to follow rule of law if their religious dogma required as such. That would be a theocracy, not a democracy. Anyhow, I remember this spouting up when it was obvious Ken Paxton was grifting for capital groups, and even got slapped on the wrist for it by the Texas State Securities Board.
A whole $1000 fine. Ouch.
This was during the election, for Attorney General. But this is also Texas. Where some rodeo clowns vote Republican, no matter how much bull is in the ring that year.
Now what is odd, this got passed around like a hot potato until the Texas Rangers were sent to investigate. And well, that's where things got interesting.
Attorney General Paxton could face first-degree felony case
Tanya Eiserer, WFAA
http://www.wfaa.com/...
Special prosecutor Kent Schaffer told News 8 Wednesday afternoon that the Texas Rangers uncovered new evidence during the investigation that led to the securities fraud allegations against the sitting attorney general.
"The Rangers went out to investigate one thing, and they came back with information on something else," Schaffer told News 8. "It's turned into something different than when they started."
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Schaffer, a Houston criminal defense attorney, said the securities fraud allegations involve amounts well in excess of $100,000. He declined to comment specifics of the fraud allegations.
A first-degree felony conviction is punishable by up to life in prison.
Schaffer said he and the other special prosecutor will begin presenting their case to a Collin County grand jury within the next few weeks. He said he anticipates eight to nine witnesses will appear before the grand jury.
"We believe that there's sufficient evidence to present to a grand jury," Schaffer said.
Go read the rest of the article, it's great and goes into more details of why Paxton was slapped on the wrist for a cool thousand bucks.
Since it was the freaking Texas Rangers who uncovered the evidence, and not an elected official of any party, not sure where Paxton will deflect the blame here. The amount cited is over $100,000 which makes it dangerously close to a long prison sentence.
If Paxton had stolen a few million more in fraudulent securities like they do on Wall Street, he would have gotten a bonus and a tax credit.
And of course, another $1000 fine.