Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, seeking to shake off a legal shadow that's lingered for nearly nine years, is making moves to have fraud charges against him canned. In a Houston courtroom today, Paxton's legal team aimed their arguments at getting the long-standing accusations dismissed ahead of an anticipated April trial, KENS5 reports.
Charges stack against Paxton involve allegations of securities fraud for his role in recruiting investors for a tech company without disclosing his financial compensation from it. However, the attorney general has continually denied any wrongdoing. But the volley of motions and counters has tortured the case's progress, with scheduling conflicts, court venue haggling, and his impeachment drama all adding to the legal theatre. A judge in today's pre-trial conference was slated to consider the motion for dismissal.
The courtroom rigmarole doesn't end there for Paxton, who faces an impeachment trial set to start on September 5. According to Yahoo News, his attorneys put forth a different angle Monday, asserting that most charges should be trashed on the grounds they're based on misdeeds prior to his 2022 reelection. "The Articles allege nothing that Texas voters have not heard from the Attorney General’s political opponents for years,” the defense argued, charging the House with political maneuvering since they couldn't dethrone him via election.
This unique 'prior term doctrine' argument posited by Paxton's attorneys suggests that the reelection of their client by the voters serves as a de facto absolution for any alleged corruption pre-dating his latest term. Only one out of twenty impeachment charges, connected to a whistleblower lawsuit settlement aimed to keep corruption allegations under wraps, would survive this line of reasoning. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick will preside over the upcoming Senate trial, which holds the power to potentially dismiss or solidify Paxton's suspension from office since May 27 last year.
Paxton, who has been suspended since the impeachment articles got greenlit by the House, could see the end of his career in public service if the Senate rules unfavorably in his impeachment trial. Yet his defense marches on, with attempts to exclude evidence of any alleged wrongdoings before January 2023, bracketing his third term kick-off as a new slate. The battle lines have been drawn, and the legal strategies laid bare, as Texas eyes the fate of its once steadfast attorney general.
