Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing accusations of criminal wrongdoing.

This is not the first controversy Paxton has faced. But this time, the accusations are coming from inside the state agency he leads. Here’s what you need to know.

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2/ First reported by the @statesman and @KVUE on Saturday, seven senior aides told law enforcement they believe Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may have committed crimes including bribery and abuse of office.

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3/ Ken Paxton, a Republican, has served as the attorney general of Texas since 2015.

Five years ago he was indicted on felony charges of securities fraud, but he has yet to go to trial due to several side battles over procedural issues.
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4/ Paxton called the latest allegations against him “false” and said he would not resign.

“Despite the effort by rogue employees and their false allegations I will continue to seek justice in Texas and will not be resigning.”

5/ The @HoustonChron reported Sunday that the aides warned Ken Paxton was using his office to benefit Nate Paul, an Austin real estate developer and Paxton donor.

Paul’s offices were reportedly raided by the FBI last year.
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6/ Paxton reportedly appointed a special prosecutor who issued grand jury subpoenas targeting “adversaries” of Nate Paul — compelling the aides to come forward.

Paxton says he was merely investigating a case sent to the agency, as is his responsibility.
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7/ Records show Ken Paxton’s office has come to Nate Paul’s defense in legal matters before, including a recent lawsuit between Paul’s investment firm and the Mitte Foundation.
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8/ Nate Paul got his start purchasing properties after the 2008 financial crisis and by 2015, he had amassed hundreds of millions of dollars primarily from institutional investors.
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9/ Earlier in his career, media reports called him a "wunderkind," a "rising star" and a "prodigy," with an estimated net worth of nearly $1 billion.

But recent local news reports and bankruptcy filings indicate his business may have fallen on difficult times.

10/ Recently Nate Paul has been associated with a much-publicized raid on his home and business office last year by FBI and U.S. Department of Treasury agents.

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11/ As of Tuesday, the outside lawyer Ken Paxton tapped to look into a complaint from Nate Paul is still working on the case despite serious objections from Paxton’s top deputies.

bit.ly/3iFLV7k via @dallasnews

12/ Bill Miller, a friend to Paxton and a longtime lobbyist, said Paxton was surprised and puzzled by the allegations.

He added that Paxton hadn’t heard from law enforcement and the accusers have yet to publicly show evidence: “There’s a lotta smoke; where’s the fire?”

13/ Meanwhile, top state attorneys in Paxton’s office are still juggling a handful of fast-moving election-related lawsuits.

All the while, the agency’s leadership is accusing Paxton of criminal wrongdoing.
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14/ A spokesperson for Paxton said over the weekend that “making false claims is a very serious matter and we plan to investigate this to the fullest extent of the law” — all but suggesting the agency is investigating the whistleblowers.

15/15 Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick acknowledged concerns, but would not comment until the investigation was complete.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy called for Paxton’s resignation Monday, becoming the most high-profile Republican to do so.
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