Ken Paxton acquitted: Follow the money and threats behind the ruling

Ken Paxton acquitted: Follow the money and threats behind the ruling

Anything goes when you have a gerrymandered legislature that puts MAGA Republicans above the law.

“Paxton had an extramarital affair with a woman whom he later recommended for a job with the wealthy donor now at the center of criminal allegations against him… – AP

“Pro-Paxton group gives $3 million to impeachment trial judge Dan Patrick. Defend Texas Liberty was the lieutenant governor’s largest benefactor… Patrick has been acting as presiding officer of the trial — effectively the judge — and the fundraising period partially overlapped with the Senate’s deliberations over the trial rules.” – Texas Tribune

“Steve Bannon, the first Trump aide found guilty in cases connected with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot after he refused to testify before a congressional panel, rushed to Paxton’s defense. Bannon vowed to “make famous” six Texas Republican senators seen as swing votes on Paxton.” – Star Telegram

Follow the money and threats with this map that acquits Paxton from wrongdoing so he can continue to deny women reproductive healthcare and block common sense gun safety measures. See how gerrymandering and corruption can impact your life?

Using millions in taxpayer funds to pay for your misdeeds!

– The exact timeline of Laura Olson’s relationship with Paxton is unclear, but lawmakers stated that he was involved with his mistress in 2019. The affair became central to the investigation into illegal quid pro quo.
– Nate Paul, a political donor to Paxton, allegedly offered Olson a job at his real estate company in Austin in exchange for help from the attorney general.
– Paxton also facilitated Paul’s access to FBI documents after his properties were raided. Olson’s role at World Class Holdings, Paul’s real estate company, remains unclear.
– In November 2020, Olson filed legal paperwork to prevent her deposition in a lawsuit.
– The lawsuit involved Paxton’s former deputies accusing him of bribery and abusing his office to assist Paul. The whistleblowers sought information from Olson, but a judge quashed the requests.
– Paxton settled with the whistleblowers for $3.3 million of taxpayer funds, which triggered an investigation by the House and ultimately led to Paxton’s impeachment. – Reform Austin

Out of control Attorney General

“The leaders of the House managers, Reps. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, and Ann Johnson, D-Houston, hinted at this dynamic in speaking with reporters after the verdict. Murr said there was a “challenging threshold” to meet in what was functionally a political trial. “We did our duty to bring the evidence into the sunlight through this impeachment process,” he said. “This trial painted an accurate and clear picture of an out-of-control attorney general who refused to listen to the desperate warnings of his conservative lawyers that he had entrusted to help run his office. … Mr. Paxton has still never explained why he was so determined to help one person, Nate Paul, over the desperate warnings of his most trusted aides.”

Johnson had particular criticism for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who served as the trial’s judge and afterward castigated the House for impeaching Paxton. Asked whether she thought Patrick sought to inappropriately influence the vote, Johnson responded that Patrick “did seem to have prepared notes ready to attack members of the House and the House process.” Hardin said several of Patrick’s rulings had handcuffed the House managers’ ability to present their case, including barring testimony from Laura Olson, Paxton’s alleged paramour, after she indicated her intention to assert her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. – Click2Houston

Paxton’s aggressive loyalty to Trump

“Paxton’s aggressive loyalty to Trump, in other words, acts as a form of indulgence that grants him license in his personal and professional life. Paxton’s acknowledged sins, including his affair, are cheap and tawdry. Yet a constellation of Republican stars are rallying to his side, led by Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ted Cruz and Steve Bannon. Because he’s a fighter. He goes to war against the left, and if the age of Trump teaches us anything, it’s that the current of his leadership flows eternally toward conflict and self-interest, consequences be damned.

For Donald Trump’s supporters, tactics that would normally be utterly unacceptable on moral grounds instead become urgent priorities. In this moral calculus, Paxton’s absurd lawsuit against Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin isn’t a mark of shame, but rather a badge of honor.” – NY Times

“We have come to a place of great danger, where the plain evidence of corruption can no longer overcome the majority party’s determination to protect its self-interest and its agents.” – The Dallas News / Letters From An American

TakeAway: Vote for Democrats to fix the Republican rigged justice system that keeps MAGA Republicans above the law while stripping other Americans of their freedoms.

Deepak
DemLabs

DISCLAIMER: ALTHOUGH THE DATA FOUND IN THIS BLOG AND INFOGRAPHIC HAS BEEN PRODUCED AND PROCESSED FROM SOURCES BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED CAN BE MADE REGARDING THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, LEGALITY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION. THIS DISCLAIMER APPLIES TO ANY USES OF THE INFORMATION WHETHER ISOLATED OR AGGREGATE USES THEREOF.

This relationship map can be freely shared with this link https://embed.kumu.io/237ee3a9f688a0294356e68572f74070 or embedded in a website with this code: “<iframe src=”https://embed.kumu.io/237ee3a9f688a0294356e68572f74070″ width=”940″ height=”600″ frameborder=”0″></iframe>”

Reposted from Democracy Labs with Permission