Texas AG Ken Paxton indictment: Witch hunt or justified charges?

As Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton surrendered to authorities and was booked into jail Monday, Tarrant County lawmakers had mixed feelings, with Democrats questioning whether he should step down and Republicans offering varying degrees of defense.

For starters, Republicans stressed, an indictment and arrest don’t mean the state’s top lawyer is guilty.

“It’s hard for some people to say anything at this point,” said state Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth. “When people hear ‘indictment,’ they think the guy is guilty. But, no, that’s not necessarily the case.

“As a Ken Paxton friend and supporter, I hope nothing comes of these charges.”

Local Democrats, meanwhile, say Paxton owes the public some answers.

“Three felony charges, resulting from a Texas Rangers investigation, are an extremely serious matter,” said state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie.

“As the top law enforcement official in Texas, AG Paxton owes the public a full, candid explanation for these charges, as well as an explanation of how he can continue to do his job as he deals with three felony indictments.”

‘A political attack’

Some Democrats, including state Rep. Ramon Romero Jr. of Fort Worth, say Paxton is the state’s top law enforcement officer and should abide by all the laws.

“This should be concerning for all Texans, whether you are Republican or Democrat,” he said. “This is a matter of he broke the law.

“I think he needs to explain his actions to people fully. How he can continue to ask the people of Texas to put their trust in his abilities in light of these allegations?”

State Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, said, “This appears to be nothing more than a political attack orchestrated by the liberal Rep. Byron Cook.”

One of the charges in the indictment is that Paxton didn’t tell stock buyers, including Cook, R-Corsicana, that he was compensated with shares of Servergy stock.

“I look forward to justice prevailing and Rep. Cook losing re-election to conservative Thomas McNutt,” Stickland said.

‘Right and wrong’

As the Texas Democratic Party called on Paxton to resign, Julie McCarty of Grapevine, president of the NE Tarrant Tea Party, said she has his back.

In fact, she has “100 percent support [for Paxton]; nothing but disgust for establishment,” she said.

If the allegations against Paxton prove true, Romero said, he should step down from office.

“Some people are saying it’s a witch hunt,” he said. “The reality is, this came up in Collin County, a very Republican area.

“This is about laws. This is about right and wrong. And it should be handled appropriately.”

Krause, a lawyer, said Paxton faces a long legal road. For example, former Gov. Rick Perry was indicted last year, and his case remains unresolved.

“People know this is a long ordeal and nothing has been proven yet,” Krause said. “This hasn’t caused me to waver in my support for him. I’m still praying for him.”

This story was originally published August 3, 2015 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Texas AG Ken Paxton indictment: Witch hunt or justified charges?."