Texas Supreme Court to Review Decision Permitting ‘Lawfare’ Against Attorney General

The Supreme Court of Texas has granted a review of a previous decision that allowed “politically motivated lawfare” against First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster by the Texas State Bar—which has continued its efforts to oust both the attorney general and Webster from the legal playing field. 

The Office of the Attorney General filed a petition for review with SCOTX on June 4, asking the court to intervene in the lawfare. That petition was granted Friday. 

“I’m pleased SCOTX will take up this case of blatant, unfounded weaponization of the law, and I am confident that First Assistant Attorney General Webster will prevail,” Attorney General Ken Paxton stated. 

“The disturbing trend of political persecutions in this country—designed to intimidate public officials into silence on crucial issues—must end,” he continued. 

The conflict began when the State Bar of Texas attempted to strip his license to practice law and censure him after he filed a lawsuit challenging the validity of the 2020 election. Texas v. Pennsylvania was filed at the U.S. Supreme Court in December of that year alongside a coalition of 18 states.

The legal challenge questioned voting mechanisms in several states and aimed to temporarily halt them from certifying vote counts ahead of the vote of the Electoral College. However, the case was dismissed and the State Bar of Texas launched its legal attack on Paxton and Webster. 

“The State Bar’s attempt to sanction Attorney General Paxton and First Assistant Webster is an unconstitutional violation of the Texas Constitution’s Separation of Powers Clause and violates principles of sovereign immunity,” says Paxton’s Friday press release. “In April 2024, a coalition of seventeen attorneys general from across the nation filed a brief supporting Attorney General Paxton and First Assistant Webster and condemning the actions of the State Bar.” 

Now, with the petition to review the court’s decision granted, the case will continue. 

Will Biagini

Will was born in Louisiana and raised in a military family. He currently serves as a journalist with Texas Scorecard. Previously, he was a senior correspondent for Campus Reform.