Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has yet to have his day in court since being charged with felony crimes seven years ago, the Associated Press reports. The Republican, on the cusp of winning the GOP nomination for a third term Tuesday, was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015. Four different judges have overseen his case. Meanwhile, other clouds have gathered over Paxton: the FBI is investigating him over separate accusations of corruption, and the State Bar of Texas is weighing possible reprimands over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Once, nearly a year passed with no movement in the case at all. No single reason explains the delays. Paxton has become an example of how powerful allies can drag out career-threatening criminal charges, and allow a politician to rise above being written off as a political goner.
Paxton has pleaded not guilty. His attorneys point out that Paxton invoked his right to a speedy trial and blame the holdup on special prosecutors, who have spent years in a protracted battle over how much they’re getting paid and where the case should be tried. Paxton was reelected in 2018 when the felony charges were still making headlines and is now in reach of winning the nomination again. His criminal case has only inched along throughout the years. A court system brought to a standstill by a 2017 hurricane and then the coronavirus pandemic slowed the pace more. Now, special prosecutors are waiting on Texas' top criminal court to rule on an appeal to address payment issues and keep Paxton's case in Houston. There is no time limit in which the charges against Paxton would expire.