In a bitterly contested election overlaid with the fears and risks of an uncontrolled pandemic, Harris County has become a case study in raw politics and partisan efforts to manipulate voter turnout.
Emma Platoff
Emma Platoff was a reporter at the Tribune from 2017 to 2021, most recently covering the law and its intersection with politics. A graduate of Yale University, Emma is the former managing editor of the Yale Daily News.
Posted in
Politics
Embattled Texas AG Ken Paxton and outside attorney respond to complaint that led to staff uprising
Outside attorney Brandon Cammack said he’d never met Paxton before he was asked to apply for the position, but he “rose to the occasion” in accepting a major assignment.
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Texas Voting Rights
Texas counties can offer only one drop-off ballot location, federal appeals court rules, upholding Gov. Greg Abbott’s order
Civil rights groups and voting advocates had argued the restriction would disproportionately impact low-income voters, voters with disabilities, older voters and voters of color in Democratic counties.
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Criminal Justice
Paxton fought $300 hourly rate for attorneys prosecuting him, but OKs it for “rookie” lawyer in donor’s case
The long-running securities fraud case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — now more than five years old — has been delayed for years as he resists paying special prosecutors $300 an hour. But he personally signed off on that rate for an inexperienced attorney probing a political donor’s complaint.
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Politics
Donor accuses Texas AG Ken Paxton’s office of mishandling complaint that led to staff mutiny
Aides in the attorney general’s office have said their boss used the power of the agency to serve the financial interests of Nate Paul, an Austin investor and donor. Paul’s attorney said his client has been the victim of agency “dysfunction.”
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Criminal Justice
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hired an inexperienced lawyer to investigate claims by his political donor
The young lawyer has five years of experience and apparent ties to an attorney for Nate Paul, a political donor to Paxton at the center of the latest allegations against the attorney general.
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Criminal Justice
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office said it’s closing investigation into donor’s claims, which top aides linked to criminal allegations
Top aides have accused Paxton of using the agency to serve the interests of the donor through the investigation — which has involved subpoenas related to the donor’s financial interests.
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Criminal Justice
In new email, senior aides say Ken Paxton used power of his office to benefit political donor Nate Paul
The aides are doubling down on accusations they made last week to law enforcement that Paxton had committed crimes including bribery and abuse of office.
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Criminal Justice
Travis County district attorney’s office disputes part of Ken Paxton’s defense of bribery allegations
Among the documents Paxton released Wednesday was a June 10 referral from the Travis County district attorney’s office, which asked the attorney general’s office to investigate a complaint that appears to come from Nate Paul.
Posted in
Texas Voting Rights
Harris County can’t send mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters, Texas Supreme Court rules
The elections administrator for the county, Texas’ most populous and a critical stronghold for Democrats, has already sent the applications to voters 65 or over. The GOP Texas Supreme Court ruled he may not send them to the rest of the county’s 2.4 million registered voters.