As Fraud Trial Looms, Ken Paxton Wades Into Murky Land Dispute to Target Lawmaker and Key Witnesses

AUSTIN -- Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wealth manager are waging a multi-pronged legal battle against the state lawmaker behind Paxton’s indictments, the latest twist in what has become a messy and highly personal fight between former friends.Last month, Paxton trustee Charles Loper III sued Rep. Byron Cook and Florida businessman Joel Hochberg. He claims he was duped by Unity Resources, a Plano company in which the two men had invested. Paxton piggybacked on Loper’s lawsuit earlier this week by subpoenaing Unity for all documents related to his adversary Cook, a fellow Republican.Cook and Hochberg, whose fraud allegations led to criminal indictments and federal civil charges against Paxton, have denied Loper’s accusations and said Paxton and his trustee have teamed up to try to discredit them.“This lawsuit has very little to do with the facts of this case, and everything to do with an effort to smear and tarnish the good name of Byron Cook and Joel Hochberg,” their attorneys said. “Why is that? Because Cook and Hochberg are key witnesses in the upcoming criminal trial against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.”It’s unclear why Paxton, who hasn’t returned requests for comment, filed his subpoena against Unity. But the move represents Paxton’s first real attempt to hit back at the men responsible for his indictments and the political and legal turmoil in his life.Paxton and Unity  Continue reading...