Kelly Hancock, Office Defense Sabotage, Texas 2024

The Office of the Attorney General has been left reeling after Chief Clerk Kelly Hancock’s rogue actions single-handedly destroyed their ability to defend the Comptroller’s office in cases challenging the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program.

At the center of the controversy is a scathing letter from Attorney General Ken Paxton, who blasted Hancock for his ‘fundamentally unserious’ behavior and ‘unbelievable embarrassment’ to the State.

“Never before have I witnessed such a fundamentally unserious person be both an unbelievable embarrassment to the State and put his own interests above Texans,” Paxton said.

Hancock’s actions, which include withholding basic information necessary to defend the cases, have made it impossible for the OAG to represent the Comptroller’s office. In response, Paxton is calling for Governor Abbott to immediately appoint Don Huffines as Comptroller.

“It’s unclear what exactly caused such rogue, reckless actions by Kelly Hancock, but Governor Abbott, the State of Texas, our school choice program, and every Texas child deserves better than the failed political gamesmanship of Chief Clerk Hancock,” Paxton said.

In his letter, Paxton notes that Hancock’s actions have fundamentally misunderstood the Comptroller’s office’s obligations under the TEFA program, including the sole legal obligation to investigate schools with potential ties to foreign terrorist organizations.

“Despite the OAG issuing an opinion to explain how the Comptroller’s office worked to Kelly Hancock when he asked for help, Hancock’s letter appears to fundamentally misunderstand his obligations,” Paxton said.

Hancock has also been accused of making false accusations about the OAG’s work and attempting to attack Paxton with falsehoods about a lack of actions to stop foreign adversaries and terrorist organizations from threatening Texans.

“Beyond this, Hancock attempts to bizarrely attack Attorney General Paxton with falsehoods about a lack of actions to stop foreign adversaries and terrorist organizations from threatening Texans, but his accusations are just plainly inaccurate,” Paxton said.

Paxton’s office has already taken legal action defending the Governor’s lawful declaration that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a foreign terrorist organization and has filed a lawsuit to stop the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR from operating in Texas.

“Again, it is a truly shocking admission that Kelly Hancock is entirely unaware of critical litigation regarding SB 17 and the efforts to stop foreign terrorist organizations from operating in Texas – further emphasizing the immediate need for Don Huffines to be appointed as Comptroller and Kelly Hancock to be fired as Chief Clerk,” Paxton said.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Public Corruption

John C. Beale, Theft of Government Property, District of Columbia 2013

Feb 19, 2015

Public Corruption

Jerry Denny, Contract Dispute, Pennsylvania 2023

Mar 29, 1892

Public Corruption

Gadsden County Commissioners Foiled in Jail Plans, Quincy FL, 1935

Oct 31, 1935

Public Corruption

Gerard Dugue, Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law, Louisiana 2005

Nov 4, 2016