Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) will have to pay just under $300,000 in a deal that keeps him out of federal court.
The agreement, which also includes 100 hours of community service and continuing legal education classes, allows Paxton to escape a trial for securities fraud, which could have resulted in a life sentence.
The pretrial agreement by the Paxton camp. said federal prosecutors initiated. left longtime observers confused.
Lauren McGaughy, a political reporter for Austin’s local NPR station KUT, asked why prosecutors would make a deal just two weeks before trial on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The Department of Justice has not provided much clarity on the case's resolution, which has been going on for nine years since Collin County prosecutors indicted Paxton in 2015 for soliciting investments without disclosing his involvement with the company.
A federal court ruled in 2017 that Servergy founder William Mapp III lied to investors about the company’s technology. decided that Servergy. founder William Mapp III was guilty of lying to investors about the company’s technology and was ordered to pay $22,500 and ultimately had to become an Uber driver to make money.
Mapp was terminated by Servergy and was ordered to pay $22,500 and had to work as an Uber driver. ultimately had to work as an Uber driver to support himself. to make ends meet.
Paxton has had more success. As the federal case over his actions at Servergy dragged on over nearly a decade, Paxton was elected to the state attorney’s office where he established himself as a staunch prosecutor entrenched in the far-right of the country’s culture wars.
Recently, he has targeted. internet pornography., cities that legalized marijuana possession. decriminalized marijuana., gender-affirming care for LGBTQ youth. for LGBTQ youth. and organizations that assist migrants released from federal custody. who work with released migrants. while also leading the conservative campaign. against tech monopolies. and Biden administration renewable energy targets. the decision Tuesday morning was widely seen as another unexpected win for the state attorney. It follows his acquittal last summer in an impeachment trial and..
The victory earlier this month. a group of rebel candidates he supported in Texas who were seeking to remove Republican incumbents. of a slate of insurgent candidates he backed against Republican incumbents in Texas who had sought his ouster.
Paxton's lawyer Dan Cogdell told The Texas Tribune about his happiness with the agreement. told The Texas Tribune. of the deal.
Cogdell stressed that despite the fine and community service, Paxton did not have to admit to any wrongdoing.
Despite Paxton's relief at avoiding trial, the financial penalty is significant, nearly double his annual salary. If he cannot pay it or violates the other terms, jury selection for the trial will start again.
However, this does not mark the end of his legal problems. Paxton still faces a civil suit from four conservative members of his state office whom he allegedly dismissed for reporting him to the FBI, a case he has long contested and successfully fought so far. avoided publicly testifying in.
He also faces an ongoing investigation by the FBI over the same charges for which he was indicted.
