Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton likely broke laws, Republican investigation finds

By PAUL J. WEBER and JAKE BLEIBERG
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing sudden new risks to his political future. An investigative state House committee on Wednesday laid out an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking that has long trailed one of Texas’ top Republicans. For more than two hours, investigators presented findings alleging that Paxton sought to hide an affair, misused his office to help a donor, skirted protocols “grossly outside” norms and built a culture of fear and retaliation in his office. It’s a test of Paxton’s durability in a way the conservative firebrand has not previously confronted despite a felony indictment in 2015 and an ongoing FBI investigation.