Paxton Investigates Southern Poverty Law Center for Funding the Groups It Claimed to Oppose
Paxton opened an investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center after the organization was indicted on federal fraud charges in April 2026 for allegedly using more than $3 million to secretly pay leaders of the Ku Klux Klan and other extremist groups — the very organizations the SPLC publicly claimed to be fighting.
The Trump Department of Justice has stated that the SPLC defrauded donors by using their contributions to fund the extremism it claimed to oppose. Some of the money allegedly went toward activities by extremists to carry out other crimes. Donors were reportedly not informed that their contributions could be used to financially support individuals affiliated with those groups.
Paxton issued a Civil Investigative Demand to the SPLC to determine the extent of deceptive donor solicitations and other potential violations of Texas law.
“The radical, woke SPLC was funding the very groups it was claiming to oppose,” said Paxton. “Donors of the SPLC deserve to know if they have been manipulated into supporting a non-profit that gives millions of dollars to the KKK and other groups that they thought they were opposing.”
Paxton Sues Fake University “TexAM” for Offering Unauthorized Degrees
Paxton filed suit against Texas American Muslim University — operating as “TexAM” — for unlawfully presenting itself as a university, offering unauthorized degrees, and misleading prospective students. TexAM has never received the certificate of authority required to operate a private postsecondary institution in Texas, its nonprofit charter was forfeited in February 2026, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board issued it a cease and desist letter on May 6, 2026.
Additionally, TexAM adopted branding confusingly similar to Texas A&M University, prompting the Texas A&M System to issue its own cease and desist. The lawsuit names TexAM and three associated defendants — Shahid A. Bajwa, Bilal Piracha, and Arsalan Shahzad — and seeks to halt TexAM’s unauthorized operations and recover civil penalties exceeding $1 million.
“My office will not allow illegal, unaccredited degree mills to operate in Texas,” said Paxton.
Paxton Secures Settlement With Albertsons — Stops Synthetic Pesticide Misting on Organic Produce
Paxton secured a landmark settlement with Albertsons Safeway LLC — parent company of more than ten grocery store chains — requiring all Texas Albertsons locations to stop misting organic produce with ProduceMaxx, a synthetic antimicrobial pesticide containing a chlorine-based compound, and to require employees to complete a potable water rinse on organic produce after any ProduceMaxx treatment.
The investigation, launched in January 2026, found that ProduceMaxx was being used off-label in produce misting systems across thousands of U.S. grocery stores — applied to USDA-certified organic produce without consumers’ knowledge, while those consumers paid premium prices expecting pesticide-free products.
Chains implementing the new requirements include Albertsons Market, Randall’s, Tom Thumb, United Supermarkets, Market Street, United Express, Market Street Express, and Amigos.
Paxton commended H-E-B, Whole Foods, and Natural Grocers for not treating organic produce with antimicrobial pesticides, and encouraged Sprouts Farmers Market to do the same.
“This is a huge win for Texans seeking to avoid synthetic pesticides when purchasing organic produce,” said Paxton. “I will continue to use every tool available to help Make America Healthy Again.”
Paxton Sues DFW Roofing Company for Taking Money and Abandoning Jobs
Paxton sued Rubinsky Roofing, LLC and its owner Gilad Rubinsky for allegedly scamming customers — including elderly Texans — by accepting payments for roofing work that was never completed. The company operates primarily in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Consumer complaints allege the company collected payments including insurance proceeds, then delayed projects for months, provided repeated excuses, or failed to perform entirely. One consumer paid more than $24,000 for a roof replacement that was repeatedly delayed and ultimately never done. Another reported Rubinsky collected a $10,000 insurance check and abandoned the project. A third victim claims the company imposed hidden breach-of-contract fees of approximately $7,500.
Approximately $500,000 in paid roofing work was allegedly never completed across dozens of consumers. The Better Business Bureau revoked Rubinsky Roofing’s accreditation in January 2026 following an influx of complaints.
Paxton is seeking injunctive relief, restitution for victims, and civil penalties under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
“I have filed this lawsuit to seek justice for the victims of this illegal scheme,” said Paxton. “My office will work to protect Texans from fraudulent schemes that take advantage of families during times of need, including following severe storms and property damage.”
Paxton Investigates Meta Glasses for Privacy Violations and Facial Data Collection
Paxton opened an investigation into Meta AI Glasses over concerns about privacy misrepresentations, unauthorized recordings, and the potential for unlawful collection of facial geometry data.
The glasses feature cameras, speakers, and an “always enabled” mode that continuously processes video data. An LED indicator designed to signal recording can be concealed and does not activate during always-enabled mode. Employees at Meta subcontractor Sama in Kenya reportedly access private video footage — including intimate moments — despite Meta’s privacy representations. Internal reporting indicates Meta plans to add facial recognition to the glasses under a project code-named “Name Tag” that could identify strangers from the built-in cameras.
Paxton issued a Civil Investigative Demand to determine whether Meta deceptively misrepresents its data collection practices. The investigation follows Paxton’s $1.4 billion settlement with Meta in July 2024 over unlawful facial recognition technology.
“Meta’s glasses raise serious concerns, and my office will thoroughly investigate these devices to ensure that no individual is being unlawfully recorded, tracked, or subjected to the unauthorized collection of their data,” said Paxton.
Paxton Sues ISS — World’s Largest Proxy Advisory Firm — for Pushing Woke Investing
Paxton sued Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. — which controls nearly half of the global proxy advisory market — for allegedly misleading institutional investors and companies by issuing voting recommendations that prioritize DEI mandates, gender-based hiring quotas, and climate activist policies over sound financial guidance and fiduciary duty.
The lawsuit notes that ISS has attempted to obstruct ExxonMobil’s planned reincorporation from New Jersey to Texas. Paxton is seeking civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and an injunction against ISS’s deceptive practices.
“ISS has enormous influence over how billions of dollars are invested and managed across this country, and they have abused that influence in order to push woke ideology,” said Paxton. “I am suing ISS to restore integrity to America’s proxy voting system.”
Paxton Sues San Antonio Solar Company for Defrauding Texans
Paxton sued CAM Solar Inc. — headquartered in San Antonio, selling solar panel systems across Texas — following an investigation that received over 100 consumer complaints. The OAG found nonexistent or significantly reduced energy savings, defective or nonfunctioning systems, improper installations, unanswered service requests, undisclosed fees, misrepresented tax credits, and continued financing obligations for systems that never worked as promised. In one complaint, solar panels detached from a consumer’s roof less than a year after installation and damaged neighboring property.
Paxton is seeking to shut down CAM Solar’s operations, obtain consumer restitution, and recover civil penalties under the DTPA. Additional solar panel company investigations remain ongoing.
“Far too many Texans have been misled into purchasing expensive and complex solar systems under the guise of ‘green energy,'” said Paxton. “That ends now.”
Paxton Sues Meta and WhatsApp for Lying About Encryption
Paxton filed suit against Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp LLC for allegedly misrepresenting WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption protections. WhatsApp markets itself as a secure messaging service in which only the sender and recipient can access message content. However, investigations and insider accounts indicate that WhatsApp employees have been able to access user communications and that message content can be retrieved after sending.
Paxton brings claims under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, seeking to protect Texans’ private communications and hold Meta accountable for misrepresenting its privacy protections.
“WhatsApp markets its services as secure and encrypted, but it does not deliver on those promises,” said Paxton. “I am suing to protect Texans’ privacy and ensure that WhatsApp by Meta does not mislead Texans by unlawfully accessing private conversations and data.”
Paxton Sues Discord for Exposing Children to Predators
Paxton sued Discord, Inc. for designing a platform that facilitates the grooming and exploitation of minors while falsely claiming that safety is “at the core of everything we do.”
The lawsuit details horrific consequences of Discord’s design choices — including a 13-year-old Texas girl sexually assaulted by a predator who groomed her on Discord over several years, a 15-year-old boy who died by suicide after being coerced into producing explicit material through Discord’s messaging system, and a 13-year-old who died by suicide after being targeted by the “764” extremist network operating openly on Discord servers. The OAG alleges Discord defaulted every account setting to maximum exposure, staffed critical safety functions with unpaid volunteers, and built a platform architecture federal prosecutors have called “a hunting ground.”
Paxton is seeking to require Discord to default all safety settings to maximum protection, implement age verification under the SCOPE Act, pay back revenue derived from unlawful conduct, and face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.
“Discord has allowed and invited all kinds of nihilistic violence and evil,” said Paxton. “We live in a time where the dangers children face online have never been greater, and every parent in Texas deserves to know their child is protected.”
Paxton Appeals to Fully Enforce SB 4 at the Fifth Circuit
Paxton filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and requested a stay pending appeal to ensure Senate Bill 4 is fully enforced — specifically seeking to uphold provisions criminalizing illegal re-entry, which have faced legal challenges separate from the illegal entry provisions already in effect.
“Under Texas law, SB 4 criminalizes illegal entry and that portion of the law remains fully in effect,” said Paxton. “My appeal seeks to ensure that the prohibitions on illegal reentry can also be enforced. Texas has the right to defend its border. I will never stop fighting for that right.”
For more information on actions from the Texas Office of the Attorney General, visit texasattorneygeneral.gov or contact [email protected].
