Potential Cabinet Choices for President-elect Trump Include Controversial Figures
President-elect Donald Trump is weighing his options for key cabinet positions, with a focus on the role of Attorney General. Among those under consideration is Ken Paxton, the impeached Attorney General of Texas.
According to a report by CNN on November 7, Paxton is shortlisted alongside Utah Senator Mike Lee and former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as potential candidates to lead the Justice Department.
The Texas House of Representatives took significant action against Paxton by voting for his impeachment in May 2023. The charges relate to allegations that Paxton used his office to exchange favors with Nate Paul, a real estate developer and Republican donor. In return for Paul’s support, which allegedly included providing a job to a senate aide involved in an extramarital affair with Paxton, Paxton reportedly impeded state investigations into Paul’s business activities.
Concerns regarding this quid pro quo arrangement were raised by eight deputies from Paxton’s office, who reported the situation to federal authorities in 2020. Subsequently, Paxton reportedly retaliated by dismissing these whistleblowers. This led to a wrongful termination lawsuit, which Paxton chose to settle for $3.3 million in 2023.
Paxton’s impeachment marks him as the third official in Texas history to face such proceedings, following Governor Jim Ferguson in 1917 and a district judge in 1975. However, the Texas Senate did not convict Paxton, allowing him to remain in his post.
Paxton’s legal troubles are not new. In 2015, a Texas grand jury indicted him on charges including two counts of securities fraud and one count of failing to register as a financial adviser. These charges stem from accusations that he recruited investors to a technology firm without revealing his potential financial gain from the investments. This case remains unresolved.
In response to these charges, Paxton stated in 2015, “I am innocent of these charges. It is a travesty that some would attempt to hijack our system of justice to achieve political ends they could not accomplish at the ballot box.”
Paxton has also been a vocal supporter of Trump’s unfounded claims regarding the 2020 presidential election results. He went as far as to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the victory of President Joe Biden, a request that the court declined to address. This action prompted the State Bar of Texas to investigate whether Paxton’s conduct in filing the petition constituted professional misconduct.
As President-elect Trump prepares to unveil his cabinet selections, the decision on the Attorney General position is anticipated with keen interest.
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