The attorney general of Texas gave a warm response to Musk's prediction that Democrats would mount a "dirty tricks campaign" against him.
On the same day that he won the Republican primary for re-election despite being accused of wrongdoing by former aides and facing criminal indictment in state court for securities fraud, Mr. Paxton took to social media to say that he understood, despite being accused of wrongdoing by former aides and facing criminal indictment
Mr. Paxton aligned himself with Mr. Musk again. The state attorney general demanded that the company turn over information about automated accounts that can spread junk mail. Mr. Musk threatened to pull out of the deal due to the company's refusal to reveal how many fake accounts there are.
The move was in line with the philosophy of Mr. Paxton, a Republican who has supported former President Donald J. Trump. The 59-year-old has long had an affinity for the spotlight, appearing regularly on Fox News and grabbing headlines with high-profile lawsuits, including against the Biden administration over immigration policy
It's more than an investigation that raises attention. Mr. Paxton is likely to benefit from it.
In recent years, the attorney general has sought to endeared himself to conservatives who believe that social media platforms are limiting right-wing voices. After the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Mr. In court, it was unsuccessful in challenging the request.
It is possible that the investigation will bring Mr. Paxton closer to Mr. Musk. He moved to Texas from California in 2020. In December of last year,Tesla relocated its headquarters to the Austin area, where it is building a huge factory that will create thousands of jobs. A city in the south of the US has painted his likeness on a mural.
Brendan Steinhauser, a Republican political consultant who has worked on campaigns in Texas, including for Senator John Cornyn, said that Mr. Paxton sees it as a political benefit to him. Big Tech is a big part of the discussion.
A spokesman wouldn't allow Mr. Paxton to be interviewed. Mr Musk did not reply to a request for comment.
Mr. Paxton was the first elected attorney general of Texas. He promised to fight the law.
He spent nearly his entire time as attorney general being followed by accusations of wrongdoing. Mr. Paxton is accused of misleading investors by not telling them he would be paid by the company and failing to register as an investment adviser. The case hasn't yet been tried.
Many of Mr. Paxton's top aides turned whistle-blowers last year, accusing him of bribery, abuse of power and other potential criminal acts. The accusations made to the F.B.I. were the start of a federal inquiry. In both cases, he denied wrongdoing.
The land commissioner, George P. Bush, was defeated in the Republican primary by Mr. Paxton. He was able to play the politics of Texas correctly because of his talent.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Paxton sued states where Mr. Trump lost in the election. Some people went on to storm the U.S. Capitol after Mr. Paxton appeared with Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump supported Mr. Paxton in the Republican primary.
The former president has similarly attacked tech companies. The antitrust lawsuit was filed in 2020. The lawsuit claimed that the internet giant had abused its control over the system.
Mr. Paxton asked for details of its moderation practices after the Jan. 6 riot.
There was a fight back byTwitter. The company said he was abusing his authority to intimidate, harass, and target it for exercising its First Amendment rights. An appeals court upheld the decision of the federal judge to reject the challenge.
The officials requested detailed records of how many fake accounts have been on the platform.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement that he has a duty to protect his state.
Lawyers for Mr. Musk wrote a letter to the company on Monday saying they had been denied information about fake accounts. Lawyers for Mr. Musk wrote that the lack of disclosure was a clear violation of the merger agreement.
Mr. Paxton doesn't seem to have a relationship with Mr Musk. Texas politicians have courted the billionaire for a long time as his companies have expanded in the state.
Governor Greg Abbott supports Mr. Musk in his attempt to take over the company. In April, Mr. Abbott sent a message to Mr. Musk on the social media platform.
Several Texas political operatives said they didn't think Mr. Musk would join the Republican Party.
Matt Mackowiak is a political consultant and the chair of the Republican Party in Austin.
Less than two weeks after the killing of 19 elementary school children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, Democrats in Texas attacked Mr. Paxton's investigation of social media.
Rochelle Garza is a civil rights lawyer who is running for attorney general. He works with his office. The real issues that people care about are being distracted by him.
He should have launched an investigation into what happened and what led to the children's deaths. Instead he is going after people on the social networking site.
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