Texas top law enforcement officer literally ran from a subpoena in an abortion case

In a kiss personification of the Republican chef constantly a way of their unpopular positions on abortion, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) literally fled his homeland on Monday when a trial officer tried to serve him a subpoena to testify in an abortion case. According to that Texas Grandstandhis wife, Senator Angela Paxton, drove them both away in a truck.

Process server Ernesto Martin Herrera wrote in a statutory declaration that he went to Paxton’s house on Monday morning and told a woman posing as Angela that he was trying to give the AG legal documents. (It was a subpoena to testify in a federal court hearing today about a lawsuit brought by eight abortion funds — more on that below.)

Angela said Paxton was on the phone and couldn’t come to the door, but Herrera said he would wait and gave her his business card. About an hour later, a Chevy Tahoe pulled into the driveway, and 20 minutes later, Paxton emerged from the garage. Herrera called his name and Paxton ran back inside, only for Angela to come out, open both driver’s doors of a truck in the driveway, and start the car.

The next part is too good to paraphrase. Of the statutory declarationEmphasis on Herrera:

“A few minutes later I saw Mr. Paxton RAN from the door in the garage to the rear door behind the driver’s side. I approached the truck, loudly called his name and explained that I had court documents for him. Mr. Paxton ignored me and continued to the truck. After determining that Mr. Paxton would not take the subpoenas out of my hands, I explained that I served him legal documents and left them on the floor where he could get them. I then laid the documents on the ground next to the truck. The service ended at 9:50 a.m. He got into the truck and left the documents on the ground, and then both vehicles drove off.”

Paxton thought it wise to respond tribune Story on Twitter, claiming the process server was “a stranger hanging out outside” and that he was concerned for his family’s safety. Apparently Paxton was so scared of this man that he sent his wife to get her car!

Sure, Ken.

Paxton is up for re-election in November, facing Democratic challenger Rochelle Garza. It is one of the closest national races right now, with Paxton leading polls at just 3 percent. He is also opposite Allegations of securities fraud and will be discontinued in this case three weeks after Election day, convenient. Could it be that Paxton won’t testify in court about abortion six weeks before Election Day in a very close race?

Garza responded to the story on Twitter, calling Paxton a coward.

So what’s the lawsuit that Paxton didn’t want to testify about? A group of eight Texas abortion funds and one Texas-based OB/GYN and abortion provider sued the state and Paxton in August asked a court to overturn the Texas trigger law that bans abortion and other pre-Civil War abortion laws. The funds argue that the laws could criminalize Anyone who helps a Texan get legal abortion treatment in another state — something the funds did well before the end of the year roe and had hoped to do afterwards. They claim that the laws violate the First Amendment, among other things.

Good luck with your choice, Ken.