When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right,Ken Paxton labeled that decision “lawless.” Now the Texas Attorney General may be branded with the very same label.
Prosecutors are preparing to ask a grand jury to indict Paxton on first-degree felony charges related to violations of federal securities laws. The newly-elected Attorney General, who replaced Gregg Abbott when he was elected governor, already received a $1000 fine and a reprimand last year on related issues.
Special Prosecutor Kent Schaffer says that a Texas Rangers investigation finds that the admissions Paxton made last year didn’t cover the full range of his activities, and that laws were broken further.
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“The Rangers went out to investigate one thing, and they came back with information on something else,” Schaffer says. “It’s turned into something different than when they started.”
“We believe that there’s sufficient evidence to present to a grand jury,” Schaffer adds.
“We have a sufficient amount of evidence,” Schaffer told The Dallas Morning News. “Whether it leads to a criminal indictment or not is up to the grand jury.”
A first-degree felony conviction can lead to up to 99 years in jail and a $10,000 fine.