Mandel Ngan – AFP / Getty ImagesDistrict of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine, left, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speak during the launch of an antitrust investigation into large tech companies outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 9, 2019. (Mandel Ngan – AFP / Getty Images)
One day after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed what could be a landmark election lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court, he found himself the target of an FBI subpoena.
Texas TV station KVUE-TV said, according to what it labeled as “sources,” the subpoenas were delivered to the offices of the attorney general on Wednesday.
Austin investor Nate Paul has been at the center of allegations concerning Paxton, KVUE-TV reported.
In October, several aides went public with allegations against Paxton, according to the Austin American-Statesmen.
NEW: This is the letter sent by 7 top aides to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleging the state’s top lawyer has committed multiple criminal violations. @statesman @KVUE. pic.twitter.com/1qNv290tJm
— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) October 4, 2020
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Their allegations included improper use of influence, abuse of office and bribery.
“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,” Paxton’s office said in a statement at the time.
“Making false claims is a very serious matter and we plan to investigate this to the fullest extent of the law.”
Do you think this is just a coincidence?
In November, KVUE reported that the members of Paxton’s office claimed Paxton hired an investigator to determine whether the FBI violated Paul’s constitutional rights.
At the time, Paxton issued a statement that said “After reviewing the claims made by former employees of this office, their allegations are overblown, based upon assumptions, and to a large degree misrepresent the facts.”
“Unfortunately, I know a little something about being falsely accused and being forced to counter allegations that are the result of overreach by prosecutors and law enforcement.
“I make no apologies for being a fierce investigator and defender of individual rights in the face of potentially unreasonable and authoritarian actions. Doing so is not favoritism, it is doing what the people of Texas expect from every law enforcement agency, their Attorney General, and the staff of this office,” he said then.
A whistleblower lawsuit has since been filed against Paxton.
On Thursday, the day after the subpoenas were reportedly delivered, Paxton said in a statement that, “At all times, as in every matter, I ask my staff only to search for the truth, wherever it leads. That’s my responsibility as Attorney General of Texas,” according to Austin American-Statesman.
FBI spokeswoman Michelle Lee said on Thursday that the FBI would not comment. The FBI has not publicly said it is investigating Paxton.
Some found the timing of the subpoenas to be curious, at best.
The FBI’s subpoena of Ken Paxton, who is working to get the Supreme Court to save America, proves yet again that the FBI is against the American people
— Patrick Howley (@HowleyReporter) December 11, 2020
On Tuesday, Paxton filed a lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin saying that their conduct resulted in “skewing the results of the 2020 General Election. The battleground states flooded their people with unlawful ballot applications and ballots while ignoring statutory requirements as to how they were received, evaluated and counted,” according to a release on Paxton’s website.
“Trust in the integrity of our election processes is sacrosanct and binds our citizenry and the States in this Union together. Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin destroyed that trust and compromised the security and integrity of the 2020 election. The states violated statutes enacted by their duly elected legislatures, thereby violating the Constitution,” he said.
“By ignoring both state and federal law, these states have not only tainted the integrity of their own citizens’ vote, but of Texas and every other state that held lawful elections.”
“Their failure to abide by the rule of law casts a dark shadow of doubt over the outcome of the entire election. We now ask that the Supreme Court step in to correct this egregious error.” Paxton added.
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