McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Collin County will pay nearly $255,000 to prosecute Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on felony charges of defrauding investors before taking office.
Collin County commissioners voted Monday to pay legal and expense fees so far for special prosecutors in the 2011 securities fraud case against Paxton, while he was a legislator. Paxton was elected attorney general in 2014.
Commissioners originally budgeted $100,000 for the case in McKinney, Paxton’s hometown.
A judge in December refused a defense request to toss the indictments. Paxton alleged that grand jury proceedings were compromised and the statute of limitations expired on a lesser charge of failing to register as an investment adviser.
No trial date has been set. Paxton, if convicted of the most serious charges, faces from five to 99 years in prison.