Category Archives: Scandalized!

More Paxton-versus-SEC stuff

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Keeping the lawyers busy. Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton say the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission cannot “shoot first and investigate later” as they seek to block 15 new subpoenas issued by the SEC. It is the latest … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s trial date set

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars, and stock up on the popcorn. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s trial on criminal securities fraud charges is set to begin May 1. Jury selection will be held April 20-21 and April 27-28, according to a recent … Continue reading →

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Dawnna Dukes case to go before grand jury

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Awesome. Travis County prosecutors and Texas Rangers will present evidence to a grand jury that state Rep. Dawnna Dukes abused the power of her office, Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore told the American-Statesman. Among possible charges: abuse of official … Continue reading →

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Paxton wants SEC’s documents on him

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

More twists and turns. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attorneys have gone to court, seeking to force the Securities and Exchange Commission to produce notes of their interviews with the investors whose allegations form the basis of the civil case … Continue reading →

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Collin County Commissioners Court are a bunch of jerks

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Unbelievable. In an attempt to lay the legal groundwork to quit funding Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s prosecution, Collin County is refusing to pay a longtime local attorney for his work defending indigent clients. On Monday, the Commissioners Court voted … Continue reading →

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Former HISD Trustee Marshall found liable in civil bribery lawsuit

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ouch. A bribery lawsuit that kept a cloud of suspicion over the Houston school district for six years ended Wednesday with a jury finding that former board president Larry Marshall participated in a kickback scheme that caused millions of dollars … Continue reading →

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Paxton asks for SEC charges to be dismissed again

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Once more, with feeling. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday asked a federal judge to once again dismiss a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission complaint accusing him of defrauding investors in private business deals in 2011. U.S. District Judge … Continue reading →

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Off to trial for Paxton

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

No more appeals, so a trial is in the works. Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are no longer asking to have a state securities fraud case against him dismissed, moving him closer to a trial on the criminal … Continue reading →

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Collin County won’t fight its special prosecutor bill

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

For now, anyway. The Collin County Commissioners Court on Monday voted to take “a careful review” of the cost of prosecuting Attorney General Ken Paxton, while appealing to residents to set aside emotions and avoid attacking the court’s future decisions. … Continue reading →

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Help a crony out?

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Collin County, y’all. Collin County lawmakers debated intervening in Ken Paxton’s legal woes by pressuring county leaders to cut funding for the case, according to a series of private text messages exchanged last week. Taxpayers in Paxton’s home county are … Continue reading →

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SEC to try again with Paxton

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

If at first you don’t succeed… The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is not giving up on its case against Attorney General Ken Paxton. The commission filed amended civil charges against Paxton on Friday, two weeks after a federal judge … Continue reading →

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CCA declines to take Paxton off the hook

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Kenny. The highest criminal court in Texas said Wednesday it will not hear Ken Paxton’s appeal of securities fraud charges, putting the attorney general on a path to facing a trial in the coming months. “Today’s ruling marks an … Continue reading →

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Paxton beats SEC rap

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Two down, one left. A judge has thrown out the federal civil case accusing Attorney General Ken Paxton of securities fraud, giving him his biggest legal victory yet since the allegations surfaced more than a year ago. U.S. District Judge … Continue reading →

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Good riddance to a bad judge

Posted on September 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Meet federal district judge Walter Smith. Now say a long overdue goodbye to him. One of Texas’ strictest federal judges — serving a year’s ban from hearing cases after being slapped hard by a panel of appeals court judges last … Continue reading →

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Miller avoids charges for his questionable trips

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t catch ’em all. Travis County prosecutors will not press criminal charges against Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller for tapping taxpayer funds for two trips that involved personal activities — including an appearance in a Mississippi rodeo and the receipt … Continue reading →

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Rep. Reynolds files for bankruptcy

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This was expected. Embattled state Rep. Ron Reynolds has filed for personal bankruptcy following a judge’s order to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to a former client. The filing comes as Reynolds, the Democratic whip in the House, is … Continue reading →

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A good day in court for Paxton

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

He may well get those SEC charges dismissed. Lawyers for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission received skeptical treatment Friday from a federal judge who is considering whether to dismiss the civil fraud case against Attorney General Ken Paxton. From … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s day in SEC court

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a slightly misleading headline, but you get the point. Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will argue Friday morning in a Sherman courtroom that the federal civil fraud case against him should be dismissed, their latest effort to … Continue reading →

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Paxton rejects settlement talks with SEC

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. Attorney General Ken Paxton, facing charges he duped investors in a North Texas startup, is refusing to engage in settlement talks with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission – and could be the last holdout in the … Continue reading →

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Servergy sued by more people

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Servergy is the company Ken Paxton was paid to shill for without being up front about the fact that he was being paid to shill for them. That’s the context of this. The company tied to Attorney General Ken Paxton’s … Continue reading →

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Rangers hand off Miller case to Travis County DA

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. The Travis County District Attorney’s Office has begun reviewing the findings of a criminal investigation into Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s travel, a top prosecutor said Friday. “We received the investigation (from the Texas Department of Public … Continue reading →

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State Bar dismisses other complaint against Paxton

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

No matter what else happens, our ethically challenged Attorney General can say he beat at least one rap against him. Attorney General Ken Paxton telling county clerks they do not have to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples is not … Continue reading →

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Paxton appeals to CCA

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Last chance to avoid a trial or a plea deal. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is appealing the securities fraud charges against him to the state’s highest criminal court, in one last bid to dismiss the case before it potentially … Continue reading →

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Paxton keeps finding new ways to be in trouble

Posted on July 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The man has a talent. Ethics experts on Wednesday were torn over whether Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s decision to accept $100,000 for his legal defense from a donor whose company was under investigation by his office violates the letter … Continue reading →

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With friends like these

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Who needs to worry about legal bills? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, facing federal and state securities fraud charges, is getting more than a little help from his friends to foot his growing legal bill. The Republican accepted more than … Continue reading →

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District appeals court declines to reconsider Paxton indictment

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Kenny. A state appeals court Thursday rejected Attorney General Ken Paxton’s motion to reconsider its June 1 ruling that upheld criminal charges against him. The two-sentence order from the Dallas-based 5th Court of Appeals gave no reason for the … Continue reading →

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Paxton asks appeals court to reconsider

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty please? Lawyers for Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday asked a state appeals court to reconsider its recent ruling that upheld the criminal charges against him. The motion did not address the two most serious charges alleging that Paxton … Continue reading →

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Paxton moves to dismiss SEC charges against him

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see if he has any more luck with this than he has had with the state charges. Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have asked a federal court to dismiss the federal securities fraud charges against him. […] … Continue reading →

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The Florida-Trump U plot thickens

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. Florida’s attorney general personally solicited a political contribution from Donald Trump around the same time her office deliberated joining an investigation of alleged fraud at Trump University and its affiliates The new disclosure from Attorney General Pam Bondi’s spokesman … Continue reading →

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5th Court of Appeals refuses to toss Paxton indictments

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Kenny. A Dallas appeals court on Wednesday upheld Attorney General Ken Paxton’s three felony fraud indictments, a decision he is likely to appeal to the highest criminal court in the state. “We are gratified but not surprised that just … Continue reading →

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Abbott orders state agencies to obey the law

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Better late than never. Gov. Greg Abbott and Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Wednesday ordered state agencies to stop paying departing employees by placing them on “emergency leave.” “Pursuant to this directive, the use of emergency leave, administrative leave or other … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Project requests investigation of severance packages

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, Lone Star Project Director Matt Angle sent letters to the Texas Rangers, the State Auditor and the Travis County District Attorney requesting formal investigations into a series of questionable payments made by Attorney General Ken Paxton, … Continue reading →

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Board of Disciplinary Appeals suspends Rep. Reynolds’ law license

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

More bad news. Convicted of five misdemeanor counts of illegally soliciting clients to his personal injury law practice, state Rep. Ron Reynolds is now without a license to practice law. As Reynolds appeals his convictions, the Texas Supreme Court’s Board … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s day in appellate court

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The grand jury was out to get Ken Paxton, apparently. Lawyers for Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday tried to cast doubt on the makeup of the grand jury that indicted him. They’re hoping to overturn a lower court’s decision … Continue reading →

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