Justice Department declined to prosecute Texas AG Paxton in final weeks of Biden's term: AP sources

Yahoo! News - Apr 3rd, 2025
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In the final weeks of President Biden's administration, the Justice Department decided not to prosecute Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, effectively ending a significant corruption investigation. This decision, which was not publicly reported until now, concluded the federal probe into allegations that Paxton abused his office to benefit a political donor. The investigation had been taken over by the Justice Department's public integrity section in Washington, removing it from Texas investigators who believed there was enough evidence for an indictment. The decision to drop the case was made by a senior career official, without the involvement of politically appointed leadership, due to concerns about the likelihood of securing a conviction.

The implications of this decision are substantial, as it removes a major legal threat from Paxton, who is considering a U.S. Senate run against Republican John Cornyn. Paxton's political career has been marred by various legal issues, including previous felony securities fraud charges and a Texas state bar investigation over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The allegations against him, brought by his own aides, led to his impeachment by the Texas House but subsequent acquittal in the Texas Senate. Despite these challenges, Paxton remains a staunch ally of Donald Trump, raising questions about the intersection of politics and legal accountability. The Justice Department has not publicly explained why the case was removed from Texas prosecutors or detailed its decision-making process, leaving lingering concerns about political influence and the integrity of legal proceedings.

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RATING

7.0
Fair Story
Consider it well-founded

The article is a well-structured and timely piece that addresses a significant public interest topic involving political and legal accountability. It provides a detailed account of the Justice Department's decision not to prosecute Ken Paxton, supported by anonymous sources and some named individuals. While the article is generally accurate and clear, its reliance on unnamed sources and lack of official statements from the Justice Department pose challenges for source quality and transparency. The story is balanced but could benefit from more perspectives, particularly from independent experts or official comments. Despite these limitations, it effectively engages readers and addresses a controversial issue with potential implications for public trust and political dynamics.

RATING DETAILS

8
Accuracy

The story presents a detailed account of the Justice Department's decision not to prosecute Ken Paxton, supported by anonymous sources. The main claims, such as the decision being made in the final weeks of the Biden administration and the involvement of senior career officials, align with the information verified from external sources. However, some areas, like the specific reasoning behind the decision and the lack of public comment from the Justice Department, require further verification. The article does not present any glaring factual inaccuracies but relies heavily on unnamed sources, which can affect the perceived accuracy.

7
Balance

The article attempts to present a balanced view by including perspectives from both Paxton's legal team and the whistleblowers. However, it leans slightly towards highlighting the allegations against Paxton without equally emphasizing his defenses or the broader political context. The story could improve balance by providing more detailed insights into the Justice Department's perspective or including comments from independent legal experts.

8
Clarity

The article is generally clear and well-structured, providing a coherent narrative of the events surrounding the investigation. The language is straightforward, and the sequence of events is logically presented. However, the complexity of legal and political details might be challenging for readers unfamiliar with the context, suggesting room for improvement in simplifying or explaining complex terms.

6
Source quality

The article primarily relies on anonymous sources within the Justice Department, which raises questions about source credibility and reliability. While anonymity is sometimes necessary, it can affect the reader's trust. The inclusion of named sources, such as Paxton's lawyer Dan Cogdell, adds some credibility, but the lack of official statements from the Justice Department or independent verification weakens the overall source quality.

6
Transparency

Transparency is somewhat limited due to the reliance on anonymous sources and the lack of detailed methodology or context explanations. The article does not sufficiently disclose how the information was obtained or the potential biases of the sources. Greater transparency could be achieved by clarifying the basis for the claims and providing more context about the investigation's history and the decision-making process.

Sources

  1. https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov
  2. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/ken-paxton-ap-justice-department-fbi-washington-b2283953.html
  3. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/justice-department-declined-prosecute-texas-ag-paxton-final-120444843
  4. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/17/trump-ken-paxton-doj-investigation/
  5. https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/feb/16/justice-dept-in-dc-taking-over-texas-ag-corruption-probe/