Texas has prevailed in an ethics lawsuit over his role in challenging the 2020 presidential election results.
On Wednesday, a disciplinary commission of the State Bar of Texas dropped its lawsuit against Paxton. The commission, which determines whether lawyers are abiding by ethics rules, had sued over the attorney general鈥檚 decision to challenge Joe Biden鈥檚 win in several swing states. It had accused Paxton and , of making misleading statements to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case.
But the commission鈥檚 lawyers said it was dropping the suit Wednesday after the Texas Supreme Court ruled last month that .
The on who could discipline the sitting attorney general 鈥� who acts as the state鈥檚 lawyer 鈥� and his staff. The court said allowing the commission鈥檚 lawsuit to continue would 鈥� and thus the independence of the judiciary.鈥�
The two cases made the same legal arguments, the commission鈥檚 lawyers wrote in their Wednesday filing, so they felt they needed to drop the case against Paxton. They filed the notice of nonsuit 鈥渨ith prejudice,鈥� meaning they cannot file this same legal challenge against Paxton again.
A spokesperson with the State Bar declined to comment. Paxton鈥檚 agency did not immediately return a request for comment.
This outcome was not a surprise.
last month, calling the lawsuit 鈥渄isgraceful, ridiculous, and a disservice to the people of Texas.鈥�
鈥淭hankfully, with President Trump back in the White House and these attempts to wage legal warfare against us defeated, we can finally get back to making Texas and America great again without distraction,鈥� Paxton said.
Paxton has repeatedly been accused of bribery, self-dealing and fraud during his more than 20 years in public service 鈥� but has never been convicted.
In March 2024, to avoid trial in a yearslong securities fraud case. Federal authorities twice charged him with similar felonies. But a judge dismissed the cases.
The for alleged corruption in summer 2023. But later that year.
The for these same corruption charges for years but has never brought federal charges. It鈥檚 unclear whether this probe will remain active under Trump.
He still faces filed by former employees who reported him to the FBI.
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