Ken Paxton Cleared As State Charges Dismissed After A Decade
(Texas Scorecard) – After years of legal wrangling, the state has officially moved to dismiss the long-standing felony securities fraud charges against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The charges—first brought by a Collin County grand jury in 2015—accused Paxton of failing to properly disclose financial ties to a tech firm while soliciting investors. But over the next nine years, the case became mired in delays, venue changes, and disputes over special prosecutor compensation.
In March 2024, Paxton and prosecutors reached a pretrial diversion agreement to cancel the upcoming trial. Under its terms, Paxton completed over 100 hours of community service, 30 hours of ethics training, and paid full restitution—reportedly around $300,000—to the alleged victims.
At the time, Paxton's attorney, Dan Cogdell, emphasized that the deal included no admission of guilt. 'There is no admission of any wrongdoing on Ken's part in the agreement because there was no wrongdoing on his part,' Cogdell said.
On Wednesday, State District Judge Andrea Beall formally accepted the dismissal of the three felony indictments, closing the case for good.
In a joint statement released this morning, special prosecutors Brian Wice and Jed Silverman said, 'Justice was delayed. But to be equally sure, justice was not denied.' They noted that Paxton had fulfilled every condition of the agreement and called the resolution 'the fair, right, and just outcome for both sides.'
Paxton, who has long claimed the case was politically motivated, said in when the settlement was reached he was relieved to move forward: 'There will never be a conviction in this case nor am I guilty.'
The charges—and the drawn-out prosecution—were a central piece of the Texas House's impeachment of Paxton in 2023. While the Senate ultimately acquitted him, House leaders had pointed to the pending fraud case as further justification for their actions.
The dismissal marks a formal end to one of the most high-profile and politically charged prosecutions in Texas history.
Paxton, meanwhile, is currently mounting a campaign for the U.S. Senate against John Cornyn.
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