WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas on Thursday blasted one in all his celebration’s prime leaders again dwelling, calling the mounting pile of accusations and legal woes Attorney General Ken Paxton faces an “embarrassment” just days before a primary runoff election.
Paxton, who’s inside attain of successful the GOP nomination to hunt a 3rd time period Tuesday, has been below state felony indictment since 2015 on securities fraud prices and is individually being investigated by the FBI after his prime deputies accused him of corruption.
He faces Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, who pressured a runoff in March however completed 20 share factors behind Paxton in a four-way major.
“This is the chief law enforcement officer of the state of Texas and it’s a source of embarrassment to me that that has been unresolved,” Cornyn instructed reporters. “As a former attorney general myself, I’m embarrassed by what we’re having to deal with.”
A spokesman for Paxton didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
The remarks by Cornyn, a former member of the Senate’s Republican management, quantity to some of the stinging public rebukes of Paxton by a high-ranking member of his celebration over a rising path of legal issues. Other Texas Republicans, together with Gov. Greg Abbott, have beforehand expressed concern in regards to the allegations towards Paxton however have usually stopped in need of immediately criticizing him.
Cornyn’s feedback come because the Texas bar affiliation considers whether or not to punish Paxton over his makes an attempt to baselessly overturn the 2020 presidential election. The bar earlier this month introduced a disciplinary continuing towards Paxton’s second-in-command and the lawyer common has mentioned he expects the regulator to sue him over his effort to overturn Joe Biden’s presidential victory.
Paxton has pleaded not responsible to the securities fraud prices and has broadly denied accusations by his former workers that he used his workplace to assist a rich donor.