Federal judge tosses SEC suit against Texas attorney general

AUSTIN, Texas — A federal judge on Thursday dismissed the U.S. government’s securities fraud lawsuit against Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who still faces criminal charges of duping wealthy investors.

[...] the ruling by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant is a significant victory for Paxton, who is scheduled to stand trial in May on felony securities fraud charges.

The lawsuit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was nearly identical to the case brought by criminal prosecutors.

Paxton’s criminal trial is scheduled to take place in Collin County, a conservative Dallas suburb where Paxton lives and where a grand jury indicted him in 2015.