Texas Attorney General’s own office exonerates him of corruption, abuse of power allegations

[ad_1]

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (right) cleared him of allegations he accepted bribes on Tuesday, writing in a report that his actions were “legal and in accordance with his legal obligations “.

The 374-page document said the multitude of misconduct allegations against Paxton were “either factually incorrect or legally flawed.”

In November last year, Paxton was sued by a group of whistleblowers who previously worked for his office or worked with him at the time, alleging he believed himself above the law.

They accused the attorney general of abusing the law in order to gain personal benefits, including hiring a woman he was having an affair with and accepting bribes.

Paxton’s office claimed whistleblowers had provided no evidence that a bribe had been paid and said the actions they accused him of were “in accordance with his legal obligations.”

The complaints were sparked by allegations that the Paxton office hired an outside lawyer to investigate allegations by wealthy Austin investor and donor Nate Paul that the FBI improperly raided his home and office. Last year.

Paxton’s office said in its report that no evidence of a matching relationship between the attorney general and Paul had been found.

“There is no evidence that Nate Paul attempted to bribe AG Paxton. Complainants attempt to use a campaign donation as proof of the bribe, however, Paul only made one campaign donation to AG Paxton in 2018, not only long before the allegedly inappropriate actions. taken by AG Paxton in 2020, but even before the 2019 FBI raid that formed the gravamen of Nate Pauls’ criminal complaints, ”the report says.

His office in turn accused the whistleblowers of violating Texas criminal law, claiming that some of them had misled individuals in order to obtain secret files to provide them to a third party.

Shortly after the allegations became public, the FBI reportedly opened an investigation into Paxton. In December, it was reported that the FBI had subpoenaed Paxton’s office for files on its investigation into allegations of corruption and abuse of power.

The FBI declined to comment on Paxton’s report.

[ad_2]