Texas attorney general pledges to 'fight' Biden administration 'illegal actions'

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to "challenge federal overreach" by President Biden’s administration following Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday.

"Congrats, President Biden. On Inauguration Day, I wish our country the best. I promise to my fellow Texans and Americans that I will fight against the many unconstitutional and illegal actions that the new administration will take, challenge federal overreach that infringes on Texans’ rights, and serve as a major check against the administration’s lawlessness. Texas First! Law & Order always!"

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Paxton, 58, spoke out just hours before Biden signed a slate of 17 executive orders and actions during his first appearance in the Oval Office. Biden overturned several Trump administration initiatives in the orders, which included a termination of federal funding for the border wall and a mandate requiring masks to be worn on federal property.

The Texas attorney general did not specify which of Biden’s initial orders, if any, he planned to challenge.

A prominent ally to President Trump during his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election, Paxton is the subject of a federal investigation into allegations that he committed bribery and abuse of office, among other crimes. He has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with a federal crime.

Trump did not include Paxton on his list of presidential pardons and commutations during his final hours in office on Tuesday night.

Texas sues 4 states claiming unconstitutional voting changes

The four states are among a handful where the Trump campaign is trying to overturn results that handed President-elect Joe Biden the victory.

Paxton drew national scrutiny after he sued battleground states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, on Trump’s behalf in a bid to prevent them from casting electoral votes. The Supreme Court declined to hear the lawsuit, which alleged that states had made illegal changes to their voting procedures and allowed widespread fraud.