A Texas appeals court has ruled that Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton can face discipline from the state bar association over his failed effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
A disciplinary committee of the State Bar of Texas accused Paxton in 2022 of making false claims of fraud in a lawsuit that questioned President Joe Biden's victory. On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 5th District Court of Appeals said Paxton can be sanctioned by the committee because the lawsuit seeks to punish him in his personal capacity as an attorney and not as a public official.
“The focus of the Commission’s allegations is squarely on Paxton’s alleged misconduct — not that of the State,” Judge Erin Nowell, an elected Democrat, wrote in the 2-1 opinion.
The lone Republican on the panel, Judge Emily Miskel, was in dissent.
Paxton is not required to have bar membership in order to serve as attorney general.
Medical Provider Agrees to Withdraw from Texas Instead of Complying with Investigation into “Gender Transition” Treatments for Minors
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has reached an agreement with Seattle Children’s Hospital in which the institution will abandon all attempts to do business in Texas. Seattle Children’s appears to provide “gender transition” interventions to Texas children at its Seattle, Washington facility. When Texas children depart its facility, Seattle Children’s appears to transmit prescriptions for hormone disrupting drugs to children and pharmacies in Texas, potentially violating state law. Texas’s law known as SB 14 prohibits drug and surgical “gender transition” interventions for minors. SB 14 went into effect in September 2023.
In November 2023, Attorney General Paxton opened an investigation into Seattle Children’s Hospital. Instead of complying with requests for documents and additional information, Seattle Children’s sued Texas. Now, the institution has surrendered its position and agreed to cease transacting business in Texas by withdrawing its business registration.
“Seattle Children’s Hospital appeared to break Texas law and initially tried to evade accountability when investigated,” said Attorney General Paxton. “When we merely began asking questions, they decided to leave the State of Texas and forfeit the opportunity to do business here. Let this make our position clear: medical providers in Texas must abide by our laws. In Texas, we vigorously protect children from damaging, experimental ‘gender transition’ treatments that can have life-altering negative consequences.”
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” —John Adams
Steve Vladeck @steve_vladeck wrote:
For the second time in <checks notes> three days, Texas is filing a nationwide lawsuit challenging a Biden administration policy in the Amarillo Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas—where it has a 100% chance of being assigned to Judge Kacsmaryk.
Alejandro Serrano @serrano_alej wrote:
Texas AG Ken Paxton w other states and gun rights orgs sued the ATF and Justice Department to stop a new rule that closed a loophole that let people sell guns online, at gun shows, etc. without conducting background checks on buyers.
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“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” —John Adams