Amidst the legal skirmishes that have risen in the wake of the contentious 2020 presidential election, the Texas Supreme Court has decided to weigh in on a controversial disciplinary action. The State Bar of Texas initiated proceedings against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his First Assistant Brent Webster, following a lawsuit they filed questioning the election's integrity. The high court's move to review the case comes as a response to an April petition by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), alleging political retaliation and constitutionality issues.

The original lawsuit lodged by Paxton attempted to address what he called "good-faith concerns" regarding the conduct of other states during the election. However, the actions of the State Bar are argued to infringe upon the State's Sovereignty and the Separation of Powers as outlined in the Texas Constitution. A group of seventeen attorneys general has backed Paxton and Webster, condemning the State Bar's endeavors as legally unsound and motive-driven. According to a release from the Texas Attorney General's office, this coalition filed a supporting brief in April 2024.

The plot thickened on June 4, 2024, when the OAG filed its petition for review with the Texas Supreme Court, requesting intervention to halt what it perceives as an abuse of legal process. Then, aligning with the concerns of the petitioners and validating the need for a higher judicial review, SCOTX decided to grant the review. "I’m pleased SCOTX will take up this case of blatant, unfounded weaponization of the law, and I am confident that First Assistant Attorney General Webster will prevail," Attorney General Paxton stated, emphasizing the importance of the issue at stake.

The State Bar's bid to sanction the OAG leadership has stirred a narrative of "political persecutions" as mentioned by Paxton, who insists that such practices aim to "intimidate public officials into silence on crucial issues." While the timeline for SCOTX's review remains unclear, the case is set to potentially reshape the conversation around the legality of the Bar's power in political matters, and perhaps, the overall political landscape in Texas. Voices from both sides of the aisle will be watching closely as the state's highest court deliberates an issue with profound implications for the rule of law and the exercise of legal authority in the realm of politics.