Dysfunction in Texas AG’s office as Paxton seeks third term

By JAKE BLEIBERG
Associated Press

GATESVILLE, Texas (AP) — As Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeks reelection to a third term, his agency has come unmoored by disarray behind the scenes. Seasoned lawyers are quitting over practices they say aim to slant legal work, reward loyalists and drum out dissent. An Associated Press investigation found the Republican attorney general and his deputies have sought to turn cases to political advantage or push a broader political agenda, including staff screenings of a debunked film questioning the 2020 election. Adding to the unrest was the secret firing of a Paxton supporter less than two months into his job as an office adviser after he tried to make a point by displaying child pornography in a meeting.