[JURIST] Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton [official profile], along with a former state legislator, were indicted on felony securities fraud, it was reported [NY Times report] on Saturday. Officials said that the three-count indictment against Paxton was handed up on Tuesday, and is to be unsealed on Monday when Paxton is expected to turn himself in to authorities at the Collin County Jail. The charges consist of two counts of first degree securities fraud and one count of third degree failure to register with the state securities board. The charges stem from his involvement in soliciting clients and investors for two companies while being a member of the Texas House of Representatives [official website]. For the first degree securities fraud, Paxton is accused of misleading investors in the technology company Servergy [official website], as he failed to disclose to investors that he was an investor in the company and making a commission on their more than $600,000 investment.

Paxton has made headlines recently with his high profile challenges against the Obama administration and against same-sex marriage issues. In May after a federal appeals court denied the Obama administration’s request to lift a hold on the president’s executive actions on immigration which would have granted millions of immigrants protection from deportation, Paxton stated [NY Times report], “[Obama had tried to impose] a drastic change in immigration policy [without the consent of congress]… We will continue to fight the brazen lawlessness that has become a trademark of the Obama administration.” In March Paxton filed suit [JURIST report] against the US Department of Labor (DOL) over a plan that would allow same-sex couples medical leave benefits. In January Paxton announced [JURIST report] that both Nevada and Tennessee have joined the Texas state-led coalition in its suit against the Obama administration over November’s executive action on immigration.