Attorney General Ken Paxton
AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Frisco Independent School District (“FISD”) for illegal electioneering by using official resources to urge people to vote in favor of a certain policy.
Repeatedly and as recently as February 27, Frisco ISD’s Government Affairs department used official resources to stump for certain policies and political measures. Such actions directly violate the Texas Election Code’s prohibition against the use of “state or local funds or other resources of the district to electioneer for or against any candidate, measure, or political party.”
Although the Office of the Attorney General is not currently able to criminally prosecute Election Code violations following the Court of Criminal Appeals’ decision in Texas v. Stephens, the OAG may nonetheless seek civil injunctive relief to attain a court order prohibiting school districts from engaging in unlawful attempts to influence elections. Further, illegal electioneering is criminal conduct and while the OAG is unable to prosecute at this time violators could be subject to criminal prosecution by local authorities. Attorney General Paxton recently sued Denton ISD for similarly engaging in illegal electioneering and is currently investigating other possible violations across the state.
To read the filing, click here.
