Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) was hit with a disciplinary petition on Wednesday by a committee of the State Bar, which accused Paxton of professional misconduct in connection with pleadings he made in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The Texas State Bar’s Commission for Lawyer Discipline said the petition stems from complaints filed in December 2020, February 2021, March 2021, and July 2021. The petition notes Paxton’s filings with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking injunctions against states where the votes were close.
These filings “misrepresented” to the Supreme Court that there was an “outcome-determinative” number of votes at issue in those states, according to the petition.
Paxton’s representations “were dishonest,” according to the committee.
“His allegations were not supported by any charge, indictment, judicial finding, and/or credible or admissible evidence, and failed to disclose to the Court that some of his representations and allegations had already been adjudicated and/or dismissed in a court of law,” the disciplinary petition reads.
The petition seeks a judgment of professional misconduct entered against Paxton and requests an appropriate sanction, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs.
Paxton’s office didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
The case is Comm’n for Lawyer Discipline v. Paxton, No. 471-02574-2022,District Court of Collin County, Texas.
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