Gromer Jeffers of the Dallas Morning News has written a story that is fascinating indeed: four Republican lawmakers–all Christian conservatives–have fallen prey to what they claim is a Ponzi scheme orchestrated by a McKinney businessman who once claimed to have discovered Noah’s Ark. The politicians involved (Ken Paxton, Bill Zedler, Phil King, and Wayne Christian) claimed that they were approached in part because of their conservative Christian beliefs in an effort to “get their guard down” and have filed suit.Now that you’ve let that sink in, it’s not surprising to learn that Dan Branch, who is running against Paxton for attorney general, has gone on the attack.
He claims that Paxton “failed to disclose his lawsuit relating to his investment in a Ponzi scheme when asked in the survey if he had been involved in any lawsuits.” Branch is referring to this Voters Guide. He continues: “Guarding against consumer fraud and securing the public trust are essential attributes for the next Attorney General. The revelations about Senator Paxton’s involvement in a Ponzi scheme and subsequent bankruptcy litigation are troubling on multiple levels, especially the display of questionable judgment and his failure to disclose.”
The news comes at a critical point in the race for Paxton, who had just received the support of Ted Cruz and had closed the gap between himself and Branch from 42 percent to 39 percent. Paxton told the Morning News: “We had a bad actor steal money and ruin what could have been a successful business venture.” It goes without saying that this could be a blow to his campaign.
