Tag Archives: Attorney General

Order issued to temporarily close Maria Rojas’ clinics

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This was expected. A Texas court has temporarily shut down a group of Houston-area clinics run by a midwife accused of performing illegal abortions and practicing medicine without a license. Waller County Judge Gary W. Chaney on Tuesday signed an … Continue reading →

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More on Paxton’s abortion arrests

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From Mother Jones. In what appears to be the first arrests of healthcare providers for allegedly violating a post-Roe v. Wade state abortion ban, Maria Margarita Rojas, a midwife working in the region around Houston, and her employee, medical assistant … Continue reading →

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Waller County midwife arrested on abortion charges

Posted on March 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Yikes. A Houston-area midwife has been arrested on allegations she performed illegal abortions, the first criminal charges brought under the state’s near-total abortion ban, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday. Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, was charged with the illegal … Continue reading →

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Justice Department drops Texas redistricting lawsuit

Posted on March 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t say I’m surprised. The U.S. Justice Department withdrew from a lawsuit alleging that Texas’ legislative and congressional district maps drawn after the 2020 U.S. census discriminated against Latino and Black voters by denying them an equal opportunity to participate … Continue reading →

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Paxton whistleblowers ask for $6.7 million in damages

Posted on February 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I wish them luck. Senior officials who were fired after reporting Attorney General Ken Paxton to law enforcement for alleged criminal conduct in 2020 asked a Travis County judge Thursday to award them $6.7 million in damages. Paxton’s office has … Continue reading →

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Appeals Court hears Catholic Charities case

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hoping for a good outcome. A Texas appeals court panel on Wednesday appeared skeptical of the procedure used by Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office as it sought to question under oath the leader of one of the state’s largest migrant … Continue reading →

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Remaining former Hidalgo staffer gets pre-trial intervention plea

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is basically a deferred dismissal of the charges. The former chief of staff for County Judge Lina Hidalgo accepted a pre-trial intervention deal Thursday on one charge linked to a controversial COVID-19 contract, ending a years-long political saga that … Continue reading →

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Charges dismissed against two of Hidalgo’s former aides

Posted on January 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Well, well, well. Criminal cases against at least two of County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s former employees have been dismissed by the Office of the Attorney General, nearly two weeks since District Attorney Sean Teare recused himself of the prosecutions. Prosecutors under Attorney … Continue reading →

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Of course the Paxton investigation is dead

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I strongly disagree with the use of the word “could” in this story. When President Donald Trump appeared in a New York courtroom last spring to face a slew of criminal charges, he was joined by a rotating cadre of … Continue reading →

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What happens now with Colony Ridge?

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Probably nothing good, but how much of that remains to be seen. A newly elected state representative this week suggested Colony Ridge, a 33,000 acre majority-Latino residential development in Liberty County, will be a focus of immigration enforcement for President-Elect Donald Trump’s administration. … Continue reading →

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DA’s office recused from Hidalgo aides’ case

Posted on January 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Done and done. A judge signed off on Harris County prosecutors handing their case against three former employees for County Judge Lina Hidalgo to the Texas attorney general, effectively ridding District Attorney Sean Teare’s office of the politically fraught charges … Continue reading →

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El Paso doctor responds to Paxton’s gender affirming care lawsuit

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Dr. Hector Granados felt puzzled when he first heard of the allegations. The El Paso pediatrician had just finished his hospital rounds early in the morning last fall when he received a call from a friend. The friend … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues TikTok

Posted on January 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Feels like this is about to be moot, but here we are. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday sued TikTok for the second time in recent months, accusing the social media company of violating deceptive trade law by downplaying … Continue reading →

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Teare recuses his office from the Hidalgo aides’ cases

Posted on January 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

As he said he would. Recently-elected Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare filed a motion on Thursday to recuse the Harris County Attorney’s Office from three cases related to the prosecution of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s former staffers. In April 2024, former … Continue reading →

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Uplift Harris 2.0 still on hold

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Just part of the process at this point. Harris County’s second version of a guaranteed income program has been blocked as it awaits a final appeal after a recent court order stopped the county from distributing funds under the revamped … Continue reading →

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Paxton won’t be deposed by the whistleblowers

Posted on November 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. Attorney General Ken Paxton will not have to sit for a deposition in a longstanding lawsuit filed by four former senior aides who said he improperly fired them after they reported him to the FBI, the Texas Supreme Court … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues second doctor for providing gender affirming care to teens

Posted on November 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From before the election. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing a second doctor for allegedly violating state law and providing gender-affirming medical care to minors. Dr. Hector Granados is an El Paso pediatric endocrinologist. Paxton accuses him in the … Continue reading →

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Uplift Harris 2.0 upheld in district court

Posted on October 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is the opening act. The main event comes later. A judge on Thursday sided with Harris County’s latest iteration of a guaranteed income program, denying Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office’s application for a temporary restraining order aimed at stopping … Continue reading →

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DACA at the Fifth Circuit

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A big week for that terrible court. On Thursday the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in a case to determine the future of “Dreamers” who came to the country as children, including an estimated 27,000 Houstonians. The hearing is the latest … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit hears drag ban appeal

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Hope for the best as always. A Fifth Circuit panel grappled with questions of free speech and expression on Wednesday as it deliberated whether to uphold a lower court’s ruling that a Texas law dealing with sexually explicit performances and … Continue reading →

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Another immigration nonprofit sues Paxton

Posted on September 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

He just can’t quit harassing them. An El Paso nonprofit that provides legal services to immigrants and migrants has filed a lawsuit that attempts to block an investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has increasingly targeted groups on … Continue reading →

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Uplift Harris lawsuit 2.0

Posted on September 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty much as expected. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is again suing Harris County over its guaranteed income initiative, alleging that the latest version of the program still violates the Texas Constitution despite modifications officials made to pass muster. “The … Continue reading →

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We could have already had charges against Ken Paxton by now

Posted on September 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is frustrating, but if we do get there in the end it’ll be all right. Federal prosecutors in Texas had drafted bribery and obstruction charges against state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) before the US Justice Department took over … Continue reading →

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More on Paxton’s “election fraud” raids

Posted on August 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s just wild stuff. A Democratic candidate for the Texas House on Monday dismissed as “nonsense” a state investigation into a vote harvesting scheme that led authorities to confiscate her phone and search the homes of a legislative aide and … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s “election fraud” raids

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

All sorts of warning bells here. The League of United Latin American Citizens plans to request a federal investigation into raids Attorney General Ken Paxton conducted this week as part of what he called an “ongoing election integrity investigation.” Gabriel … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit against FIEL tossed

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Harris County judge has denied Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempt to shut down local immigration nonprofit FIEL Houston. Paxton originally petitioned to shut down FIEL in July for allegedly violating rules that govern the organization’s nonprofit status. … Continue reading →

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Asking the fox to audit the henhouse

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure if that’s the best metaphor, but it’s what I came up with when I read this. Houston Democrats asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Monday to investigate a charter school network founded by Houston ISD Superintendent Mike … Continue reading →

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Paxton finds a new target to bully

Posted on August 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Vile, disgusting, authoritarian – one quickly runs out of adjectives. Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to shut down an immigrants rights group in Houston, alleging it is “systematically” flouting nonprofit rules by advocating too aggressively against state laws and … Continue reading →

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Uplift Harris 2.0

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

If at first you don’t succeed… Harris County will relaunch its guaranteed income initiative with added restrictions following Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit challenging the legality of the Uplift Harris program. Though the Uplift Harris legal battle is still making … Continue reading →

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Meta settles lawsuit with Texas over facial recognition usage

Posted on July 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Wasn’t following this closely. Facebook’s parent company Meta will pay Texas $1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of using personal biometric data without users’ authorization. The 2022 lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit over San Marcos marijuana decriminalization ordinance tossed

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

For now. A Hays County judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against the City of San Marcos in response to a proposition decriminalizing low-level marijuana possession. Judge Sherri Tibbe dropped Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s suit against San Marcos on Monday. … Continue reading →

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Judge orders some Uvalde records to be released

Posted on July 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Really hard to believe that this is still a contested issue, but here we are. The school district and sheriff’s office in Uvalde must release their records and documents related to the Robb Elementary School shooting — including police body … Continue reading →

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Re-impeachment?

Posted on July 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have a hard time believing this. Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday evening said the Texas House ethics committee, which scheduled a meeting for next week, is planning to recommend impeaching him a second time. “Next week’s House General … Continue reading →

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We are still being teased with “Feds investigating Paxton” stories

Posted on June 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Please let this be true, please let this be true, please let this be true… A federal appeals court last week rejected an unnamed Texas agency’s attempt to withhold records and shield its employees from appearing before a grand jury … Continue reading →

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