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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TEXAS STATE BAR ORDERED TO CONTINUE DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON (HOUSTON, TX, February 10, 2016)-- The Law Office of Mynor E. Rodriguez P.C. announced that the Board of Disciplinary Appeals ("BODA") has ordered the State Bar of Texas to pursue disciplinary proceedings against beleaguered Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. (See attached BODA letter dated February 2, 2016.) Hundreds of Texas attorneys joined in an ethics complaint against Mr. Paxton when he defied the U.S. Supreme Court in the wake of the high court's recognition of same-sex marriage. The Complaint alleges, among many other ethical violations, that Mr. Paxton illegally encouraged Texas state officials to violate the U.S. Constitution as well as their oaths of office by refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses. Mr. Rodriguez noted, "The Texas ethics rules prohibit any lawyer, including the Attorney General, from counseling a client to engage in conduct that the lawyer knows is criminal or fraudulent." Mr. Paxton is now required to respond to the full Complaint of professional misconduct. This is the second setback for Attorney General Paxton. Early this month, the Texas Ethics Commission refused to approve an opinion that would have allowed Paxton to accept out-of-state donations for his legal fees. See a PDF of the Complaint at http://bit.ly/PaxtonComplaint. ### Contact: Eddie Rodriguez Law Office of Mynor E. Rodriguez P.C. 713-968-9828 tel [email protected] www.rodrigueztrialfirm.com

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Texas Board of Disciplinary Appeals order State Bar of Texas to investigate ethics violation charge against Attorney General Ken Paxton.

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Page 1: Press Release/Texas BODA

FORIMMEDIATERELEASE

TEXASSTATEBARORDEREDTOCONTINUEDISCIPLINARYPROCEEDINGS

AGAINSTTEXASATTORNEYGENERALKENPAXTON

(HOUSTON,TX,February10,2016)--TheLawOfficeofMynorE.RodriguezP.C.announcedthattheBoardofDisciplinaryAppeals("BODA")hasorderedtheStateBarofTexastopursuedisciplinaryproceedingsagainstbeleagueredTexasAttorneyGeneralKenPaxton.(SeeattachedBODAletterdatedFebruary2,2016.)HundredsofTexasattorneysjoinedinanethicscomplaintagainstMr.PaxtonwhenhedefiedtheU.S.SupremeCourtinthewakeofthehighcourt'srecognitionofsame-sexmarriage.TheComplaintalleges,amongmanyotherethicalviolations,thatMr.PaxtonillegallyencouragedTexasstateofficialstoviolatetheU.S.Constitutionaswellastheiroathsofofficebyrefusingtoissuesame-sexmarriagelicenses.Mr.Rodrigueznoted,"TheTexasethicsrulesprohibitanylawyer,includingtheAttorneyGeneral,fromcounselingaclienttoengageinconductthatthelawyerknowsiscriminalorfraudulent."Mr.PaxtonisnowrequiredtorespondtothefullComplaintofprofessionalmisconduct.ThisisthesecondsetbackforAttorneyGeneralPaxton.Earlythismonth,theTexasEthicsCommissionrefusedtoapproveanopinionthatwouldhaveallowedPaxtontoacceptout-of-statedonationsforhislegalfees.SeeaPDFoftheComplaintathttp://bit.ly/PaxtonComplaint.

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Contact:EddieRodriguezLawOfficeofMynorE.RodriguezP.C.713-968-9828telmrodriguez@rodrigueztrialfirm.comwww.rodrigueztrialfirm.com

Page 2: Press Release/Texas BODA

C H A I RD A V I D N . K I T N E R

V I C E C H A I RR A M O N L E C H E VA R R I A I I

M E M B E R SR O B E R T A . B L A C K

JEANNE C. "CEZr COLLINSD A V I D M . G O N Z A L E ZW E N D Y A D E L E H U M P H R E Y

ROLAND K. JOHNSONK A T H E R I N E A . K I N S E R

JOHN J. "MIKE" McKETTA IIIM I K E M I L L SD E B O R A H P U L L U MG E O R G E A . TAY L O R

Steve Fischer139 Ocean Dr.

Rockport, TX 78382

E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R & G E N E R A L C O U N S E L

C H R I S T I N E E . M c K E E M A N

D E P U T Y D I R E C T O R / C O U N S E L

G AY L E R I L E Y V I C K E R S

T h e B o a r d o f D i s c i p l i n a r y A p p e a l sA p p o i n t e d b y T h e S u p r e m e C o u r t o f Te x a s

E X E C U T I V E A S S I S TA N T

JACKIE L. TRUITT

February 2, 2016

Ruth Ann Ko l lman4265 San Felipe St., Ste. 1100Houston, TX 77027

Br ian Bou f fa rd909 W. Magnolia, Ste. 6F o r t W o r t h , T X 7 6 1 0 4 _ ^

R E : B O D A C a s e N o . 5 6 6 9 6

Disposition of Appeal NoticeFischer, Kollman, & Bouffard v. Paxton (SBOT # 201504443)

Dear Mr. Fischer, Ms. Kollman and Mr. Bouffard:

On January 29, 2016, the Board of Disciplinary Appeals appointed by the Supreme Court of Texasconsidered the appeal from the dismissal of the above grievance by the Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel ofthe State Bar of Texas. After reviewing the grievance as filed with the State Bar Chief Disciplinary Counsel's officeand no other information, the Board grants the appeal, finding that the grievance alleges a possible violation ofTexas Disciplinary Rule of Professional Conduct 1.02(c) (see, Texas Family Code § 2.012. (West 2015)).

The Board of Disciplinary Appeals will now return the case to the Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counselfor investigation and a determination whether there is just cause to believe that the attorney has committedprofessional misconduct. The Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel will notify both parties of each step of theprocess, including asking the attorney to respond to the complaint. For information concerning the handling of thecase fi-om this point forward, please contact the Austin Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel.

Information concerning the disciplinary system, the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, andthe Texas Rules of Disciplinaiy Procedure is available at www.texasbar.com. The Board's Internal Procedural Rulesare available at www.txboda.org.

Sincerely,

Chr is t ine E. McKeemanExecutive Director & General Counsel

Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr.

Laura PoppsState Bar of TexasPO Box 13287Austin, TX 78711(512) 427-1350

POST OFFICE BOX 12426 AUSTIN. TEXAS 78711 TEL: (512) 427-1578 FAX; (512) 427-4130 TXBODA.ORG