Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is ramping up his efforts to oust acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, alleging that Hancock’s actions are undermining the state’s legal defense in significant cases. Paxton has called on Governor Greg Abbott to appoint Don Huffines, the GOP nominee, to replace Hancock.
During a recent statement, Paxton suggested that his office’s ability to defend the Comptroller’s office in cases related to the Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) program cannot be restored until Huffines assumes the position.
Paxton has placed the blame squarely on Hancock, claiming he has “single-handedly destroyed the Office of the Attorney General’s ability to defend the Comptroller’s office” in ongoing litigation regarding the TEFA program. He further asserted his commitment to combating what he describes as Islamic extremism in Texas, citing his past initiatives against the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, alongside his enforcement of Senate Bill 17.
In a scathing critique of Hancock, Paxton referred to him as an “incompetent loser,” prompting a call for his immediate removal following a letter in which Hancock criticized Paxton’s management of a case involving Islamic schools in Texas.
Paxton stated, “I have never witnessed such an unserious individual who brings embarrassment to the state while prioritizing his own interests over those of Texans. Hancock’s letter could easily be dismissed as the actions of someone desperately clinging to relevance, but the repercussions are far more serious. His behavior is detrimental to my office’s ability to defend the Comptroller in these critical matters. He either does not grasp the significant damage he is inflicting on Texas, or he simply does not care.”
He continued, urging Abbott to swiftly appoint Huffines as Comptroller. Paxton expressed uncertainty regarding the motivations behind Hancock’s “rogue” actions, emphasizing that both the State of Texas and its school choice program deserve better than Hancock’s political maneuvering. He lamented that Hancock’s conduct has compromised the attorney-client relationship, hindering his office’s capacity to provide effective defense in the ongoing legal challenges to the TEFA program.
In related developments, three private Islamic schools have initiated legal action against Texas officials, alleging they were unjustly excluded from participating in the state’s school voucher program.
As of now, neither Hancock nor Abbott has responded to Paxton’s allegations. Looking ahead, Huffines is set to compete against his Democratic opponent in the general election on November 3, while Hancock is expected to remain in his role until a successor is determined.
In the backdrop of this controversy, Paxton has labeled Hancock a “Never Trumper” and criticized him for a letter that criticized Paxton’s handling of an Islamic school case in Houston. In the letter, Hancock placed significant blame on Paxton for the school’s temporary eligibility for the new state voucher program, urging him to highlight the school’s supposed connections to groups identified by GOP leaders as terror-affiliated and to take decisive action against them.
