After nine long years of prosecution against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the staunch Republican managed to avoid any jail time for securities fraud charges.
Instead, he will have to perform 100 hours of community service, among other requirements laid out in a pretrial agreement, The Texas Tribune reported. This includes 15 hours of legal ethics courses and paying about $271,000 in restitution.
The legal issue has plagued the prominent figure since his earliest days in office.
While some may see the pretrial agreement as a loss in comparison to being ruled not guilty, simply finishing the case is a win enough for Paxton.
The fraud that the attorney general was accused of centers around allegations that he solicited investors for a McKinney technology company without properly disclosing that he was paid to promote the stock by the firm.
If the suit had gone to trial and Paxton was found guilty, he could have faced decades in prison.
The attorney representing the Texas official, Dan Cogdell, said that after the prosecution team “approached” them with the pretrial agreement, Paxton was “happy to agree to the terms of the dismissal.”
“But let me be clear, at no time was he going to enter any plea bargain agreement or admit to conduct that simply did not occur,” Cogdell said. As part of the agreement, Paxton won’t enter any plea.
“There is no admission of any wrongdoing on Ken’s part in the agreement because there was no wrongdoing on his part.”
Do you support Ken Paxton?
Paxton previously dealt with legal action against him at the highest level, facing 16 impeachment charges against him by the Texas House, primarily controlled by Republicans.
As The Texas Tribune reported, the Republican attorney general faced major charges related to corruption but was ultimately able to come out on top in his case, being acquitted of all charges by the Texas Senate.
Notable conservative voices, such as former President Donald Trump and independent journalist Tucker Carlson, championed Paxton, helping garner immense public support in right-leaning circles.
“It’s not only a victory for the rule of law and Constitution, but it’s a victory in what’s been a longtime battle in the Republican Party,” said Nick Maddux, chief political advisor for Paxton.
Paxton has proved after a long and tenured career that he intends to keep fighting for conservative voters and what is right.
Whether it’s suing Pfizer for misrepresenting the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, fighting against the Biden administration attempting to worsen border security or suing the federal government for questionably passing a bill, the Texas official has shown time and time again that he isn’t afraid to take action when it is needed.
Paxton is the exact type of official that voters should want in office.
