Ken Paxton's felony case dismissed after completing pretrial diversion program

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HOUSTON - Attorney General Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud case has been dropped after he completed the conditions of a pretrial diversion program, his attorney said.

Attorney Dan Cogdill posted a signed motion dismissing the charges against Paxton on Instagram Wednesday.

What they're saying:

"At the risk of throwing my shoulder out of socket patting myself on the back, I'm proud to say that the decade long saga of the trials and tribulations of Ken Paxton ended today," Cogdill said in the post.

Cogdill also represented Paxton during his impeachment trial and federal securities fraud trial.

Paxton securities fraud case

Paxton was accused of selling securities without a license and without disclosing to buyers that he was being paid.

In March 2024, Paxton agreed to a pretrial intervention which required the attorney general to complete 100 hours of community service, 15 hours of legal ethics training and pay around $300,000 in restitution to the alleged victims.

At the time of the agreement, Cogdill said the diversion wasn't an admission of guilt.

"At the end of the day, it is not a plea bargain. He didn't plead. There is no admission of guilt. There will never be an admission of guilt because he is not guilty, but we are glad to have this behind us," Cogdell said last year.

Wednesday's dismissal ends a nearly decade-long legal battle for Paxton, who was first indicted on the charges by a Collin County grand jury in 2015.

Dig deeper:

The securities fraud case against Paxton was delayed for years during pre-trial disputes over trial location in the Dallas area or Houston, and payment for the state’s special prosecutors.

The fraud allegations were among the original 20 articles of impeachment. But that process was a political one. The criminal case posed a much more serious threat.

Paxton was eventually acquitted in the Senate.