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Ken Paxton sues DOJ over potential destruction of Trump investigation records

LEGAL NEWSLINE

Saturday, November 23, 2024

Ken Paxton sues DOJ over potential destruction of Trump investigation records

State AG
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Attorney General Ken Paxton | Attorney General Ken Paxton Office

Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated legal action against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prevent the possible destruction of records from Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump.

On November 8, Paxton submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the DOJ seeking documents related to what he described as Smith's unconstitutional investigation into Trump. He referenced previous special counsels, such as Robert Mueller, who destroyed records without facing accountability.

Paxton has now filed a lawsuit requesting a preservation order to ensure that Smith and the DOJ do not destroy any records associated with their investigation into Trump.

"I will not allow the corrupt weaponization of the United States government to be swept under the rug as Jack Smith and others who unjustly targeted President Trump attempt to avoid accountability," stated Paxton. "The American people deserve transparency, and those responsible for these unlawful witch hunts must not destroy the evidence of their own misdeeds."

The filing expresses concern: "Attorney General Paxton, however, fears that many releasable records—including those that he sought—will never see daylight. That is not because DOJ has any legal reason to withhold them. Rather, Attorney General Paxton has a well-founded belief as set forth herein that Defendants will simply destroy the records. That is how they and/or their predecessors have operated in the recent past. And Jack Smith’s team has conducted itself in multiple ways that suggest it cannot be blindly trusted to preserve, and eventually produce, all of its records."

To read the filing, click here.

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