There may be, strictly speaking, a question on the legality, but there is no question on the ethics. Attorney General Ken Paxton was wrong to accept a gift from a party under investigation by his office.Last year, Preferred Imaging founder James Webb gave Paxton $100,000 for his legal defense on charges unrelated to his duties as attorney general. Paxton is fighting charges that he broke securities law by encouraging investors to buy stock in a technology company without disclosing that the firm was paying him.But Preferred Imaging was under investigation for Medicaid fraud. That investigation ended in a settlement in June, a document co-signed by the attorney general’s Texas Civil Medicaid Fraud Division and the U.S. Justice Department. According to reporting by Andrea Zelinski of Hearst Newspapers’ Austin Bureau, the Justice Department and the Dallas attorney representing a whistle-blower in the case have said Paxton’s office was involved in the investigation.
Source: On gift, Paxton actions inexcusable – San Antonio Express-News