Ethics Fray Puts Texas AG Paxton's Office Against Big Donor
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AUSTIN (AP) - An ethics investigation into an influential conservative group is putting Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against one of his biggest donors.
Court filings show that Paxton's office is now representing the Texas Ethics Commission in a long-running probe of Empower Texans, a limited-government group that guaranteed a $1 million loan for Paxton's campaign last year.
The San Antonio Express-News reported Thursday that Paxton's office has accused Empower Texans in court of refusing to comply with subpoenas issued by state ethics regulators. Empower Texans is a "dark money" nonprofit that does not have to disclose its donors.
Watchdogs say Paxton's office getting involved creates a conflict of interest. The attorney general's office maintains it simply is doing its job to defend state agencies in court.
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