Letter: Top deputies accuse Texas attorney general of crimes

DALLAS — Several top deputies of Texas’ attorney general have reported to law enforcement that their boss engaged in crimes including bribery and abuse of office, according to an internal letter.

In a single-page letter to the director of human resources in the attorney general’s office, the seven senior lawyers wrote that they reported Republican Ken Paxton to “the appropriate law enforcement authority” for potentially breaking the law “in his official capacity as the current Attorney General of Texas.”

“We have 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 criminal offenses,” the Thursday letter states. It was first reported jointly by the Austin American-Statesman and  KVUE-TV.

The letter does not offer specifics but nonetheless stands as a remarkable accusation of criminal wrongdoing against the state’s top law enforcement officer by his own staff, including some longtime supporters of his conservative Christian politics. It could deepen legal trouble for Paxton, who has spent nearly his entire five years in office under felony indictment for securities fraud, although the case has stalled for years over legal challenges.

Philip Hilder, Paxton’s defense attorney in the securities case, declined to comment on the new allegations Sunday. Paxton pleaded not guilty in that case, but it is not clear whether the new accusations are related.

In a statement to the American-Statesman Paxton’s office said: “The complaint filed against Attorney General Paxton was done to impede an ongoing investigation into criminal wrongdoing by public officials including employees of this office. Making false claims is a very serious matter and we plan to investigate this to the fullest extent of the law.”

It’s unclear what investigation is being referenced in the statement. Paxton’s office did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment Sunday.

“These allegations raise serious concerns,” Gov. Greg Abbott, also a Republican, said in a Sunday statement. He declined to comment further “until the results of any investigation are complete.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3jxaBAb