Ken Paxton (right) has been compelled to answer questions under oath in a whistleblower case against him. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton can face disciplinary action from the state bar association over his failed bid to overturn the 2020 presidential election, a Texas appeals court ruled Thursday, according to the Associated Press. 

In 2022, a State Bar of Texas disciplinary committee accused Paxton — a Republican and ally of Donald Trump — of misconduct on accusations that he made untrue allegations of fraud in a lawsuit he filed with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to nullify President Joe Biden’s legitimate win.

In Thursday’s ruling, a three-judge panel of the 5th District Court of Appeals said the state bar is legally cleared to penalize Paxton because the committee is seeking to punish his personal action as a lawyer and not an action carried out in his capacity as attorney general, the AP reports.

The State Bar of Texas’ range of available sanctions against Paxton range from written warnings to disbarment, according to the AP. Whatever the penalty, he isn’t required under state law to be a bar member to serve as attorney general.

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This article appears in Apr 17-30, 2024.

Sanford Nowlin is editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Current. He holds degrees from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative...