Sources have told the Associated Press that the FBI is investigating Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Eight of Paxton's former aides say he abused the power of his office to benefit real estate investor Nate Paul, who had donated 25 thousand dollars to Paxton's 2018 campaign.
They say Paxton hired an outside lawyer to investigate Paul's claims the FBI improperly searched his home and offices. Rice university political scientist Mark Jones says "now he has the federal government looking into it and this is an FBI that come January will be under a Biden Administration, and therefore will not be subject to any type of pressure to say let the case go or to slow walk it."
Paxton has denied any wrong doing. Jones says it's ironic that part of the intervention related to an FBI investigation of Nate Paul. He says these processes can take a long time. Paxton was indicted five years ago for felony securities fraud and has yet to go to trial. "Its always possible Paxton believes he can delay with this case as well, although the fact that federal authorities are involved reduces the ability of Texas Republicans to protect him. I suspect at this point these violations have been sufficiently offputting to many Texas Republicans that they would probably be quite happy if the FBI would do their dirty work for them and get rid of Paxton or at least force him to resign so they no longer have him as a liability on the ticket in 2022."
Four of the former aides were fired, three more quit and one is on leave. Four have filed a whistleblower lawsuit, claiming they were ousted as retribution.