Let public hear all the facts about Paxton

The Star-Telegram’s latest anti-conservative editorial rant about Attorney General Ken Paxton (“Paxton still denies charges, won’t explain,” May 13) is ludicrous on its face.

Paxton did explain his case. He did so very well in legal briefs filed in a court of law, where it belongs.

Like the prosecutions of Tom DeLay and Rick Perry, the case against Paxton depends on novel interpretations of state law.

The indictments against Paxton and the media circus they created resulted from unusual circumstances that must be investigated.

The public record is very clear that Collin County state District Judge Chris Oldner manipulated the selection of the grand jury and engaged in a process that is in violation of legislative mandates.

Oldner suddenly recused himself from involvement in the case the day after the grand jury under his supervision produced the indictments in question.

The accusations of fraud don’t involve misrepresentation on Paxton’s part.

But the special prosecutors think Paxton should have volunteered more information about his own investments in the course of selling stock in a company, and that his not doing so amounts to fraud.

If that by itself were found to be a crime, securities traders across the state could be facing criminal exposure every time they make a sale, unless they take the unusual step of telling clients they hadn’t purchased the stock for their own portfolios.

The paper should ask the simple question, “who lost money?” The charges don’t name anyone who actually lost money and that’s because it didn’t happen.

Both “victims” named in the criminal indictments — state Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana and Florida businessman Joel Hochberg — are full-time investors, which makes them “sophisticated investors” under the law.

Their claims regarding the investment decisions are not believable.

If the allegations made by Cook and Hochberg were based on belief that Ken Paxton’s alleged omissions affected their investment decisions, why did they wait more than four years to complain?

The indictments appear to be political retaliation against Paxton.

Cook has made clear he strongly opposes Paxton’s political views on ethics reform, sanctuary cities, public-sector union policies and many other issues.

Cook also supported Dan Branch against Paxton in the 2014 Republican primary for attorney general.

I’m glad the Star-Telegram has a strong interest in this case, just as they did against Gov. Rick Perry and former Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

But if they are going to try Attorney General Paxton in the court of public opinion, they should provide a full reporting of all the facts in the case and let the readers come to their own conclusions about what is really going on here.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Let public hear all the facts about Paxton."