TX AG Paxton Stands by Trump at Trial, Sparking Criticism

(ReliableNews.org) – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has long supported former President Donald Trump. The AG has even filed multiple lawsuits against President Joe Biden for reversing some of Trump’s policies. Recently, Paxton traveled to New York to stand by the former president while he was on trial.

On April 30, the same day Judge Juan Merchan found Trump in contempt and fined him $9,000, Paxton was in the Manhattan courtroom to support him. He arrived at the courthouse at approximately 8:30 a.m. with Trump. Eric Trump was also at the hearing on Tuesday, making him the first member of the former president’s family to attend the trial.

Paxton posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, calling the trial a “sham” and saying he stands by the former POTUS.

With President Trump in NYC to sit through this sham of a trial. This trial is a travesty of justice. I stand with Trump.

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) April 30, 2024

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has charged Trump with 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying records to cover up repayments to his former personal attorney after the lawyer paid an adult film star $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged affair. The former president faces up to four years in prison if he is convicted of the charges.

Paxton appeared on Newsmax for an interview on the “Rob Schmitt Tonight” show, where he said he understood what the former president was going through. The attorney general was also charged with a multitude of crimes but dodged prison time by entering a plea with prosecutors.

Paxton agreed to pay almost $300,000 in restitution for lying to investors in a tech startup. He also consented to undergo 15 hours of legal ethics training and complete 100 hours of community service.

The AG said he wanted Trump to “know he had support” because he’d also “seen the weaponization of the judicial system” and knew what it was like to feel alone. He went on to rant about the FBI and Department of Justice, which are not involved in the New York case. “How is this different from China?” he asked.