{"id":23967,"date":"2023-08-18T15:03:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T15:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=23967"},"modified":"2023-08-22T06:40:42","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T06:40:42","slug":"this-is-just-updated-from-last-week-skip-db-new-texas-ag-ken-paxton-impeachment-files-detail-interventions-for-donor-secret-trips-the-dallas-morning-news-da-new-texas-ag-ken-paxton-impeachmen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=23967","title":{"rendered":"this is just updated from last week. skip.db \/\/ New Texas AG Ken Paxton impeachment files detail interventions for donor, secret trips [The Dallas Morning News :: DA-NEW-TEXAS-AG-KEN-PAXTON-IMPEACHMENT-FILES-DETAIL-20230818]"},"content":{"rendered":"

AUSTIN \u2014 Ken Paxton<\/a> doggedly attempted to use his power to help an embattled campaign donor<\/a> out of a feeling of camaraderie because both men were the targets of criminal investigations, according to new documents released ahead of the attorney general\u2019s impeachment trial.<\/p>\n

Three volumes of exhibits, filed late Thursday by lawyers leading the historic impeachment case against Paxton and posted to the Texas Senate\u2019s website<\/a>, include interview transcripts, texts and emails, lawsuit filings and financial statements. They total almost 4,000 pages.<\/p>\n

The documents provide more details on the extent of Paxton\u2019s ties to Nate Paul, the donor who is a real estate developer based in Austin. The evidence goes to the heart of the impeachment articles against the attorney general<\/a>: that Paxton used his power to help Paul thwart a federal investigation into his business, which had been raided by the FBI in 2019<\/a>, and that Paul bribed Paxton by funding a home remodel and giving a job to the woman with whom Paxton was allegedly having an affair.<\/p>\n

The attorney general was impeached<\/a> based on these and other corruption allegations in May and faces a trial in the Texas Senate, beginning Sept. 5, to determine whether he will be removed from office. He is suspended without pay<\/a> pending the outcome of the trial.<\/p>\n

In one of the most consequential newly released documents, a top deputy at the time repeatedly warned the attorney general that Paul was using the agency to divert from his own legal troubles and that Paxton could face legal trouble if he helped. Paxton rebuffed the concerns, according to a memo from September 2020, and instead expressed trust in Paul because they had both been the targets of law enforcement probes.<\/p>\n

Paxton also faces criminal securities fraud charges<\/a> that have been pending for years<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Paxton \u201ctalked about his personal case, and told me I don\u2019t understand what it feels like to be the target of a \u2018corrupt investigation,\u2019\u201d then-Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice Mark Penley wrote in the memo.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cI believe that Paul is seeking to use the name and authority of this agency to manipulate our office into conducting a criminal investigation of federal prosecutors and possible law enforcement agents without any supporting evidence, solely for his personal benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The filings also further detail Paxton\u2019s alleged affair<\/a>, and include new documents that the lawyers arguing for Paxton\u2019s removal will likely reference to try to prove their bribery allegations.<\/p>\n

In June, Paul was indicted on federal financial crimes<\/a>. His charges did not mention Paxton, and he pleaded not guilty. The FBI is investigating Paxton<\/a> for his ties to Paul, and a federal grand jury reportedly heard<\/a> from witnesses close to the attorney general, according to the Austin American-Statesman.<\/em> <\/p>\n

Paxton has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

In their own tranche of legal filings in recent weeks, Paxton\u2019s defense team has argued that the impeachment articles against their client should be thrown out<\/a> and that any evidence detailing behavior before this year should be ignored. Paxton, a Republican, was just re-elected to a third term and removing him would deny voters their choice<\/a> of attorney general, his lawyers say.<\/p>\n

The attorney general\u2019s lawyers also have denied that Paxton solicited or received a bribe and<\/a> insist that the lawyers arguing the case against their client have no smoking gun.<\/p>\n

An agency spokesperson did not return requests for comment Friday. His public relations team resent a previous statement from Paxton\u2019s laywer, Tony Buzbee.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis whole thing has been nothing but a sham, and it should now end,\u201d Buzbee said.<\/p>\n

Friday evening, Paxton\u2019s lawyers filed a motion<\/a> in which they accuse the impeachment lawyers of withholding evidence and urge the Senate to sanction them for the exhibit dump \u201cin the most severe way allowed by all other Texas courts: by dismissing the charges against the Attorney General.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ken Paxton\u2019s alleged interventions for Nate Paul<\/h3>\n

Paxton\u2019s impeachment was prompted by allegations of corruption and abuse of office from a group of senior agency employees. Eight staff members reported Paxton to the FBI in late 2020, saying he had improperly leveraged the power of the attorney general\u2019s office to help Paul; four also sued the agency<\/a> in November 2020 under state whistleblower laws, alleging Paxton retaliated against them.<\/p>\n

After Paxton\u2019s agency asked the Legislature this year for $3.3 million to settle the whistleblower lawsuit<\/a>, a House ethics committee instead launched an investigation into the former staffers\u2019 allegations and eventually recommended impeachment.<\/p>\n

The eight employees who reported Paxton to the FBI feature prominently in the slew of exhibits released late Thursday. According to their recollections, Paxton repeatedly justified his attempts to intervene in Paul\u2019s legal troubles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Attorney General was literally obsessed with anything related to Nate Paul,\u201d whistleblower James \u201cBlake\u201d Brickman said in a May interview with investigators hired by the House ethics committee, according to a newly released transcript of his remarks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just really shocked me,\u201d said Brickman, who served as deputy attorney general for policy and strategic initiatives in 2020. \u201c[Paxton] had told me at one point that he thought Nate Paul was a billionaire that was being wronged by the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paxton told Brickman and other senior staff that he believed Paul was a victim of the overzealous cops who raided his home, according to their interviews. The attorney general told staff they didn\u2019t understand how it feels to be targeted, they said, and wanted to marshal his agency\u2019s resources to investigate Paul\u2019s allegations against the FBI, Texas Rangers and others.<\/p>\n

The documents also shed light on how Paxton\u2019s staff vetted Paul\u2019s allegations that the FBI doctored its search warrants, even employing an agency forensics lab, and determined that his complaints didn\u2019t have merit.<\/p>\n

Paul \u201cis being deceptive and trying to manipulate our office for his personal benefit,\u201d Penley said in handwritten notes from September 2020. Penley lamented in another set of notes that he had warned Paxton \u201cthis was [a] dangerous case\u201d that could lead to media scandal and even criminal accusations of bribery.<\/p>\n

The attorney general ignored him, Penley wrote.<\/p>\n

Staff unsuccessfully tried to steer Paxton away from Paul, the documents show in great detail. After their protests, Paxton accused the employees of being disloyal, Penley wrote in his Sept. 30 memo.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said he is frustrated that he can\u2019t get his team to do what he wants them to do,\u201d he said Paxton told him during a meeting at a Dunkin Donuts in McKinney. \u201cI told the AG that I have been a loyal subordinate, and that as a friend, I was trying to advise him to let me handle this investigation appropriately.\u201d<\/p>\n

On at least two occasions, senior staff said Paxton was asked if he was \u201cunder some sort of undue influence,\u201d according to handwritten notes dated October 2020 from Paxton\u2019s then second-in-command, Jeff Mateer.<\/p>\n

Mateer wrote that Paxton denied both times that he was being pressured to help Paul.<\/p>\n

Paxton\u2019s efforts continued even after several members of his staff refused. The attorney general attempted to have the Travis County district attorney investigate. But the prosecutor thought Paul\u2019s allegations were \u201ccrazy,\u201d<\/a> according to her interview with House investigators in April.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did think that Ken Paxton was trying to get us to do something he knew we shouldn\u2019t do or couldn\u2019t do,\u201d former DA Margaret Moore said, according to a transcript.<\/p>\n

Paul was incensed<\/a> when he was told during an August 2020 meeting that the agency would not investigate his complaints against the FBI, Penley recalled.<\/p>\n

\u201cNate Paul got more and more upset. He demanded \u2014 he acted like he owned the room<\/a>. He acted like he owned the building. He acted like he was the attorney general, and not Ken Paxton,\u201d Penley said in a March 2023 interview with House investigators.<\/p>\n

Paxton himself eventually hired an outside attorney to probe Paul\u2019s allegations.<\/p>\n

Deputy Attorney General for Legal Counsel Ryan Vassar said Paxton did not have the authority to make such a hire, according to an October 2020 email included in the exhibits, warning the attorney general that doing so would \u201craise serious ethical concerns<\/a>\u201d for the agency.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Paxton, continued to defend his decision<\/a>, including in public statements.<\/p>\n

The latest impeachment exhibits show the outside attorney Paxton eventually hired worked hand in glove with Paul\u2019s lawyer. They delivered subpoenas together and then the outside attorney sent emails outlining their progress to Paxton\u2019s private email address, according to copies of the communications and other records.<\/p>\n

David Maxwell, a longtime Texas Ranger who led the attorney general\u2019s law enforcement division at the time, complained in an undated group text message<\/a> with the whistleblowers that Paxton had wanted him to \u201cconduct an illegal investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vassar responded with a meme of ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu that said, \u201cNever interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul accused of bribing Paxton<\/h3>\n

Some of the new documents released Thursday also touch on accusations that Paxton accepted bribes from Paul by allowing him to remodel the kitchen in his Austin home.<\/p>\n

In June, Paxton\u2019s lawyers sent an invoice to a construction company they said was proof that he paid for his own<\/a> remodel.<\/p>\n

Text messages included in the documents, however, show Paxton requested the six-figure payment<\/a> be made to Cupertino Builders on the same day the attorney general\u2019s top staff reported him to the FBI for alleged bribery. According to previous report<\/a>s in The Associated Press and Wall Street Journal, <\/em>the founder of that construction company has links to Paul and a history of fraud.<\/p>\n

Drew Wicker, Paxton\u2019s former executive aide, told House investigators in May that he was in Paxton\u2019s Austin home when the attorney general and contractor discussed new kitchen countertops.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fine, I will just \u2014 I will check with Nate,\u201d the contractor responded, after noting the different countertops would be more expensive, Wicker recalled.<\/p>\n

Wicker was uncomfortable with the situation and later, while he was with Paxton at Kenny\u2019s Burger Joint, said he raised his concerns<\/a> that \u201cNate Paul might have been taking part in the home renovations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGeneral Paxton said that he appreciated me bringing those concerns to him, but he assured me that that was not the case<\/a>,\u201d Wicker said. \u201cI accepted it for his word. That being said, I did not really spend a whole lot of time at that house afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n

The filings further detail Paxton\u2019s alleged extramarital affair<\/a> and the woman\u2019s apparent employment with Paul\u2019s company.<\/p>\n

Laura Olson was to earn $65,000 annually working for Paul, according to contract documents in the filings. On her residential lease agreement, included in the documents, Olson also lists Paul\u2019s company as her employer and her salary as $70,000 plus $20,000 in \u201cother income.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition, never-before-seen documents from ridesharing company Uber appear to show Paul created an alias account for Paxton under the name \u201cDave P.\u201d The impeachment lawyers wrote in filing this week that Paxton used this pseudonymous account<\/a> to visit Paul\u2019s home and Olson.<\/p>\n

Paul donated $25,000 to Paxton in 2018. The attorney general\u2019s lawyers want to prohibit mention of the campaign contribution during his impeachment trial.<\/p>\n

Potpourri: Burner phones, Trump tower, taxpayer funds<\/h3>\n

Paxton also attempted to deflect public criticism and prove that there was no wrongdoing, according to the filings.<\/p>\n

In August 2021, Paxton\u2019s agency produced a 300-page report<\/a> purporting to clear him of any corruption allegations with regard to his dealings with Paul. It was unsigned \u2014 but the new exhibits appear to show that the attorney general personally approved it<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis content has been vetted by KP and we are nearing completion,\u201d Brent Webster, who succeeded Mateer as first assistant attorney general, wrote in a March 31, 2021, email<\/a> to Aaron Reitz, then the deputy attorney general for legal strategy. In May of this year, Reitz left the agency to serve as chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz.<\/p>\n

Also uncovered in the documents is how in settlement negotiations with the whistleblowers, lawyers representing the Office of the Attorney General appeared to consider offering more money if Paxton could avoid an apology.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there a number at which Mr. Brickman would forego [an apology from Paxton]?\u201d they asked in an email sent Feb. 7, 2023.<\/p>\n

Within minutes, Brickman\u2019s lawyer responds<\/a>: \u201cThere is not.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Uber receipts<\/a> detail how Paxton did not use his Uber alias account solely for visits within Austin. In February 2020, the account was tapped for multiple trips in Chicago where \u201cDave P\u201d was dropped near the Trump Tower in that city, the records show<\/a>; trips in Los Angeles and Las Vegas were also reported on the account in November and December 2019.<\/p>\n

In addition, the documents illustrate the extent to which Paxton allegedly used private email accounts and so-called burner phones<\/a> to avoid scrutiny. Paxton\u2019s official correspondence is subject to transparency laws, which require that communications dealing with his duties as attorney general be retained and released when requested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in his office one time with Drew [Wicker], and Drew pointed to a stack of books and said, \u2018You see what\u2019s underneath there?\u2019 It was a cellphone, and that was one of his other cellphones,\u201d Brickman said in his recent interview<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cDrew said \u2014 we call them burner phones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Washington bureau chief Todd Gilman contributed to this report.<\/em> <\/p>\n

\u00a92023 The Dallas Morning News. Visit dallasnews.com<\/a>. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.<\/a> <\/p>\n

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