Paxtonmust resign
There are too troubling circumstances and legal clouds swirling around the Texas AG.
Used to be, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could blame his legal troubles on outsiders: political opponents, spin doctors, “liberal” reporters and, of course, those who just didn’t like him because he’s a Christian conservative “man of faith.”
In a 2016 YouTube video, Paxton said he learned “a long time ago that if your opponents are screaming at you, you are probably doing something right.”
Only now, the screamers are Paxton’s allies — indeed, his own staff.
In allegations that appear deeper and uglier than what partisan foes had alleged previously, Paxton is being accused of improper influence, abuse of office, bribery and other possible criminal acts by high-ranking officials in his administration.
Add the fact that Paxton was already facing felony charges in a securities fraud case that has been entangled in legal maneuvering for the past five years, and the alarm bells are clanging at red-alert levels.
Not one, not two, but seven of Paxton’s top staffers, including the first assistant attorney general, Jeffrey Mateer, all signed a letter last week claiming “a good faith belief that the attorney general is violating federal and/or state law, including prohibitions related to improper influence, abuse of office, bribery, and other potential offenses.” They are calling for an investigation. Mateer has resigned.
A spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office said in a statement that the complaint against Paxton was filed “to impede an ongoing investigation into criminal wrongdoing by public officials including employees of this office,” suggesting that his own hand-picked aides are disloyal or dishonest.
Again, Paxton is blaming others. This time, it’s much harder to believe. Even Gov. Greg Abbott has said the allegations “raise serious concerns.”
While judgment on the truth of these stunning claims and counterclaims would be premature, clearly something is very, very wrong inside the attorney general’s office.
We say enough. Enough excuses. Enough distractions. Enough taint at what should be a respected Texas institution trusted to uphold, and practice, the rule of law.
Paxton should resign as attorney general. It is the only way to restore honor and confidence in the state office tasked with “protecting Texans against consumer fraud, enforcing open government laws, providing legal advice to state officials, and representing the state of Texas in court.”
There are too many questions, troubling circumstances and legal clouds swirling around Paxton for him to serve as the state’s top law enforcement officer. As we said when we first called for his resignation back in January 2016, “Texans deserve an attorney general who can focus on his duties without fear of prison.”
We noted at the time that is was “hard to see how his staff can enjoy going to work every morning when
their boss is accused of violating the very laws they have sworn to uphold.”
That line is especially prescient given that allegations are now coming from staff members, including those who have helped Paxton fight to overturn the Affordable Care Act and to defend legislation restricting abortion rights.
This is not about partisan politics or ideology; it is about respect for the rule of law.
That point is driven home by the fact that U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, who served from 2014 to 2016 as Paxton’s first assistant attorney general, is the first prominent Texas Republican to urge Paxton to resign.
“The Attorney General deserves his days in court, but the people of Texas deserve a fully functioning AG’s office,” Roy said in a statement released Monday.
“Any grace for him to resolve differences and demonstrate if the allegations are false was eliminated by his choice instead to attack the very people entrusted, by him, to lead the office — some of whom I know well and whose characters are beyond reproach,” Roy said.
Other top Republicans, including Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have so far said they would hold off drawing any conclusions until an investigation is complete. Just who should do that probe isn’t yet clear. Regardless of that outcome, the attorney general’s situation has become untenable. With Paxton at the helm, how can Texans have confidence his office is enforcing the laws without undue influence or corruption?
The Houston Chronicle reported Sunday that the case involves Paxton’s relationship with Austin real estate investor Nate Paul. Paul gave $25,000 to Paxton ahead of his 2018 re-election campaign. Paul’s World Class Holdings offices were raided Aug. 14, 2019, by the FBI.
It will take a serious investigation to get to the bottom of all this. In the meantime, Paxton needs to step down for the good of the attorney general’s office and for the good of Texas.