Still a crook any way you look
A nonprofit focused on increasing Latinos’ civic participation can continue its work without fear of being shut down by the state after a federal judge granted a stay on Oct. 24 in a lawsuit the group filed against Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The move came after both sides agreed to put the case on pause while the courts resolve a separate lawsuit involving the tool Paxton’s office had used to investigate Jolt, the Latino engagement nonprofit. Last month, a federal judge ruled in a case involving Spirit Aerosystems that the “request to examine” tools the attorney general’s office had used to investigate businesses and nonprofits, including Jolt, was unconstitutional.
Jolt had said in its initial request for a temporary restraining order that Paxton’s investigation would irreparably harm the organization and its associates by disclosing personal information and potentially placing its workers, volunteers and associates in harm’s way.
“If Jolt were forced to disclose confidential information to the Attorney General, it would be considered a betrayal of the trust that Jolt has earned from the Texas Latino community,” the organization’s lawyer, Mimi Marziani, wrote in the lawsuit. “It would make it more difficult for Jolt to associate with others and carry out its mission effectively, and it would likely put Jolt employees and others associated with the organization in danger.”
See here and here for some background. It seems likely to me that Spirit Aerosystems will win its case based on the initial ruling, but I Am Not A Lawyer and I don’t know what else is at stake here. This agreement may also cover the inevitable appeals that will take place after there’s a final ruling, which if true means we’re probably years out from a resolution. All that is fine by me, and I assume fine by the Jolt Initiative. The Star-Telegram has more.