Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is under ethics investigation after encouraging local officials to refuse to US Supreme court's ruling over same-sex marriage license issuance for religious grounds. The highest court in the United States ruled that the same sex marriage will become legal in June.
According to Yahoo News, a month later, two hundred attorneys filed a complaint against the anti-gay marriage attorney general Ken Paxton for advising officials to go against the US Constitution. The Texas Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel of the State Bar initially dismissed the said complaint. However, the Board of Disciplinary Appeals has ordered the State Bar to go forward with its investigation with complaints stating the attorney violated his work ethics rules.
The Hickory Record reported, the Texas Ethics rules states that any lawyer including Attorney General, is not allowed to give a counseling on a client to engage in conduct that the "lawyer knows it criminal or fraudulent." According to Attorney Eddie Rodriguez, Paxton could face penalties that ranging from revoking his professional license or disbarment. Paxton firm office refused to comment regarding the probe as well as the State Bar Official. However, Rodriguez released a copy of the issued letter of appeals.
The reinstating decision of the appeals board to the case does not mean the Attorney General committed ethic violations however, Paxton is required to respond to the complaint filed against him as part of the probe. The attorney general is already indicted to first-degree felony charges for alleged securities fraud, according to Towleroad. The complaint against Paxton alleges he encouraged officials to break the law.
In the securities fraud case, Paxton is accused of not revealing he was being paid by a technology startup while trying to lure investors and not disclosing that he already had 100,000 shares. Those charges carry punishments of five to 99 years in prison.
