Judge reportedly strikes down law Ken Paxton frequently uses to investigate nonprofits

By Alejandro Serrano and Kayla Guo, The Texas Tribune, and Vianna Davila, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Attorney General Ken Paxton can’t use a state statute that he repeatedly relies on to scrutinize various companies and nonprofits — including an El Paso migrant shelter network and a nonprofit focused on increasing Latinos’ civic participation — after a federal magistrate judge on Friday ruled the tool unconstitutional, according to Bloomberg Law. Judge Mark Lane of the Western District of Texas verbally granted a permanent injunction stopping Paxton using what’s called a “request to examine” to probe myriad practices. “This is textbook 4th Amendment jurisprudence that protects us all from unreasonable searches and seizures.” The consumer protection division of the Attorney General’s Office has increased its scrutiny of nonprofits whose missions are largely in opposition to Paxton’s politics, an investigation by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica found. The treatment was still technically legal when the office sent the letters in April and May, respectively, but state lawmakers passed a ban the same week Paxton launched his investigation of Texas Children’s Hospital.