Texas Board of Appeals Orders State Bar to Investigate Complaint Against AG Ken Paxton

Remember that historic Supreme Court ruling last year? The one that ended decades of discrimination against same-sex couples who wanted to get married?

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton surely does because it's probably still causing him headaches, in addition to his legal woes. The Lone Star State's top lawman is accused of securities fraud.

We just learned that on January 29, the Board of Disciplinary Appeals, appointed by Texas' Supreme Court, decided not to dismiss a grievance against Paxton filed with the State Bar Chief Disciplinary Counsel for an alleged violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rule of Professional Conduct, which means the Texas State Bar has been ordered to continue a disciplinary investigation into the alleged violation.

That whole defying the Supreme Court thing is good for television spots, but, not so good in reality.

Here's a bit from the complaint against him the sums up the allegation:

In issuing the Opinion in response to Lt. Governor Patrick’s unauthorized request, Attorney General Paxton exceeded the scope of the constitutional and statutory authority of the Office of the Attorney General. Attorney General Paxton also failed to cite in his Opinion either the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution or controlling U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Ignoring decades-old federal law to the contrary, Attorney General Paxton’s Opinion purports to empower Texas state officials to assert individual religious grounds for refusing to perform their official duties. In addition, Attorney General Paxton released public statements in connection with the Opinion that disparaged the U.S. Supreme Court and encouraged state officials to violate their official oaths of office. 

Read the full complaint: 

Attorney General Ken Paxton Grievance (Corrected)