The ruling by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals that Attorney General Ken Paxton lacked the authority to independently prosecute voter fraud has become a campaign point for gubernatorial candidates.
In December of 2021, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled 8-1 that Attorney General Ken Paxton lacked the authority to independently prosecute voter fraud. Now, Paxton, as well as Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have asked the court to reverse its decision.
“This is more political theater from Greg Abbott," said gubernatorial candidate Don Huffines. "He was the one that lowered the penalties for voter fraud to begin with. This ruling allows him to do exactly what he wants to do: nothing. When I am governor, I will secure our elections and enforce election laws, no matter what liberal judges or the federal government says.”
Texas gubernatorial candidate Don Huffines
| Huffines' Facebook page
Paxton's prosecution came about when the FBI learned that Jefferson County sheriff Zena Collins Stephens had potentially violated campaign-finance laws, which led to Paxton charging her with two counts of unlawfully making or accepting a campaign contribution and one count of tampering with a government record. The court stated that Paxton only has the authority to prosecute some cases involving state Medicaid fraud, and even then he would need consent from an attorney at the local or county level.
Elected in 2014, Governor Greg Abbott is currently serving as the 48th Governor of Texas. Before being elected governor, Abbott was the longest-serving Attorney General of Texas.
Huffines will face Abbott in the gubernatorial primary on March 1. From 2015 to 2019, he represented Texas' 16th State Senate District. Huffines is the CEO of Huffines Communities, a Dallas/Fort Worth-based real estate development firm.
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