Fogbow

Appeals court halts hearing before more testimony in whistleblower suit against Texas AG Ken Paxton
The attorney general’s office is seeking to dismiss a whistleblower lawsuit brought by four former staffers, who accused Paxton of abusing his position to help a campaign donor.

AUSTIN — An appeals court halted a hearing Tuesday that was set to include testimony from a former high-ranking employee at the attorney general’s office about why he and others accused the agency’s embattled leader, Ken Paxton, of abusing his position.

A lawyer representing the agency requested the stay, which the Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals granted late Monday.

The action comes as the attorney general’s office is fighting to dismiss a whistleblower lawsuit brought by the ex-employee and three others who claim they were wrongly fired after reporting Paxon to law enforcement last fall.

The public testimony by Ryan Vassar, the former deputy attorney general for legal counsel, could offer new details about allegations that Paxton abused the office to help a campaign donor and real estate developer Nate Paul.
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A lawyer representing the attorney general’s office argued that Paxton, as an elected official whose position is created by the Texas Constitution, is not a “public employee,” so the statute doesn’t apply.

“The whistleblower act does not extend its protection to reports of unlawful conduct made about a state elected official. The Legislature did not include that in the statute,” said William Helfand, an outside attorney brought on to represent the agency in the lawsuit.

Lawyers representing the former employees, however, rejected Helfand’s argument, saying that the Republican attorney general was acting in his official capacity and also receives a salary and benefits like any other public employee.

“We think it would be fraught with quite a bit of legal danger if he were exempted through that kind of interpretation,” said attorney Joseph Knight, who is representing Vassar.

Launching yet another court battle over pandemic restrictions, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday sued local officials in the state’s capital city for their moves to keep mask mandates in place despite a statewide order from the governor that lifted mask rules.

The lawsuit filed in Travis County District Court comes a day after Paxton mocked leaders in the county and the city of Austin for sticking with local mask rules.

“City/county leaders must not be thinking clearly,” Paxton, a Republican, wrote on Twitter Wednesday as he threatened to sue. “Maybe it’s oxygen deprivation from quintuple-masking. Whatever the case, they’ve tried this before. They lost.”

In a previous lawsuit brought by Paxton’s office, the Texas Supreme Court blocked the city and county from limiting inside dining at restaurants around the New Year’s Eve holiday. Paxton cited that case and a previous state appeals court ruling against business restrictions in El Paso in the complaint filed Thursday.

“City/county leaders must not be thinking clearly,” Paxton, a Republican, wrote on Twitter Wednesday as he threatened to sue. “Maybe it’s oxygen deprivation from quintuple-masking. Whatever the case, they’ve tried this before. They lost.”

pipistrelle wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 4:15 pm

“City/county leaders must not be thinking clearly,” Paxton, a Republican, wrote on Twitter Wednesday as he threatened to sue. “Maybe it’s oxygen deprivation from quintuple-masking. Whatever the case, they’ve tried this before. They lost.”

Why can’t adults sound like adults?

pipistrelle wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 4:15 pm Why can’t adults sound like adults?

Countdown: Critical Deadline Approaching!

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It has become abundantly clear that the Biden Administration is intent on revitalizing the failed policies of the Obama era, and they must be stopped.

No one has done more to hold Democrats accountable than me…

…Like suing the Obama Administration 27 times, and I’ve already had to do the same 7 times with Biden, but I can’t do this on my own. That’s why I’m reaching out to you.

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ONLY DAYS REMAINING BEFORE OUR FILING DEADLINE

Ken Paxton
Attorney General of Texas

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More proof that @JoeBiden is the largest super-spreader of COVID. He has zero credibility on this topic. He’s now sending his DOJ to sue Texas for trying to stop the spread of immigrants with COVID in our state. #BidenBorderCrisis #COVID19 #border #Immigrant #Texas

RTH10260 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 11, 2021 6:19 pm Does Paxton have proof for his claim that migrants do not get covid tested?

‘AG Paxton Committed No Crime’: Texas Attorney General Clears Self of Bribery Accusations in Unsigned Report
ADAM KLASFELD
Aug 24th, 2021, 1:17 pm 43

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who has spent the better part of six-year tenure under indictment for securities fraud, committed no crime. That’s the finding of a new report by Paxton’s office clearing the attorney general of unrelated bribery accusations leveled against him by his former employees.

“AG Paxton’s actions were lawful, and consistent with his legal duties and prior actions taken by Attorneys General of Texas,” the first bullet point of his executive summary states. “AG Paxton committed no crime.”

In a report totaling 374 pages with exhibits, Paxton’s office found that the former employees alleging otherwise have “no evidence” of a “quid pro quo”—that Latin phrase meaning “this for that,” the type of transactions forbidden by public office holders under anti-corruption law.

Several of Paxton’s ex-top aides—described in the report as the “Complainants”—accused him of improper influence in the case of Austin real estate investor Nate Paul, who donated to the attorney general’s 2018 re-election campaign. They claimed the attorney general performed a series of favors for Paul, allegedly in return for a job for Paxton’s mistress, according to the Houston Chronicle. Paul has been under a lengthy FBI investigation, and the investor’s properties in the Lone Star State’s capital were raided on Aug. 19, 2020.

“There is no evidence that Nate Paul attempted to bribe AG Paxton,” the report by Paxton’s office, published under his official seal, states. “The Complainants attempt to use a campaign donation as proof of the bribe, however, Paul has made only one campaign donation to AG Paxton in 2018 – not only well before the allegedly improper actions taken by AG Paxton in 2020, but even before the FBI’s 2019 raid that formed the gravamen of Nate Paul’s criminal complaints.”

The FBI declined comment on the status of the investigation or the bureau’s reaction to Paxton’s report.



https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/ag ... ed-report/

Dave from down under wrote: ↑Sat Aug 28, 2021 7:50 pm This statement is 100% accurate
“There is no evidence that Nate Paul attempted to bribe AG Paxton,”

Nate Paul “successfully bribed”

Friend -


As Attorney General of Texas, I’ve never shied from my responsibility to protect life. Texas just passed the strongest pro-life protections in the country, making abortion illegal once a child has a detectible heartbeat.

Life won. You won. Our values won.

But now the Biden DOJ, indeed the Attorney General of the United States, is mobilizing the entire federal government to sue the state of Texas to stop us from protecting the unborn. Shameful!



Will join join me in this fight against the Radical Left?

YES! I STAND WITH YOU TO PROTECT LIFE>>

CONTRIBUTE $100

CONTRIBUTE $50

CONTRIBUTE $25

CONTRIBUTE ANY AMOUNT >>

The Radical Left has gone insane. First they sued Texas and me. We won. Again. They appealed, we won. Again. All the way to the US Supreme Court. We won. Again.


As the attorney leading the fight for Life in Texas, I need your help. We are being viciously attacked by the immoral Left. Help me stop these radicals and our shared commitment to Life!


Thank you and God Bless America,


Ken Paxton
Attorney General of Texas

9. May a covered employer require a transgender employee to
dress in accordance with the employee’s sex assigned at birth?
No. Prohibiting a transgender person from dressing or presenting
consistent with that person’s gender identity would constitute sex
discrimination.
10. Does an employer have the right to have separate, sex-
segregated bathrooms, locker rooms, or showers for men and
women?
Yes. Courts have long recognized that employers may have separate
bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers for men and women, or may
choose to have unisex or single-use bathrooms, locker rooms, and
showers. The Commission has taken the position that employers
may not deny an employee equal access to a bathroom, locker room,
or shower that corresponds to the employee’s gender identity. In
other words, if an employer has separate bathrooms, locker rooms,
or showers for men and women, all men (including transgender
men) should be allowed to use the men’s facilities and all women
(including transgender women) should be allowed to use the
women’s facilities.
11. Could use of pronouns or names that are inconsistent with
an individual’s gender identity be considered harassment?
Yes, in certain circumstances. Unlawful harassment includes
unwelcome conduct that is based on gender identity. To be unlawful,
the conduct must be severe or pervasive when considered together
with all other unwelcome conduct based on the individual’s sex
including gender identity, thereby creating a work environment that
a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or
offensive. In its decision in Lusardi v. Dep’t of the Army, the
Commission explained that although accidental misuse of a
transgender employee’s preferred name and pronouns does not
violate Title VII, intentionally and repeatedly using the wrong name
and pronouns to refer to a transgender employee could contribute to
an unlawful hostile work environment.