Justice Department decided not prosecute Texas AG Ken Paxton near end of Biden's term

The Justice Department late last year quietly opted not to prosecute Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Associated Press reports, signaling an apparent close of federal scrutiny into one the state's most powerful Republican elected officials. Citing two people who spoke on condition of anonymity and are familiar with the matter, the AP reports the decision came during the "final weeks" of President Joe Biden's term. This is the first time a news organization has reported the case was dropped.