Paxton asks Abbott to replace 'incompetent loser' acting comptroller

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas AG Ken Paxton is calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to replace the acting comptroller, who he called an "incompetent loser," over a letter regarding Paxton's handling of a case related to Islamic schools in the state. 

Paxton said in his Tuesday statement that Abbott ought to remove Kelly Hancock and put Don Huffines, who won the recent GOP primary for the seat, in his place until the general election. 

Paxton calls for Hancock's replacement

What they're saying:

"Kelly Hancock is a Never Trumper and an incompetent loser who's an embarrassment to the position of Chief Clerk that he holds," Paxton said in a Tuesday night post to X, formerly Twitter. "To protect Texans' tax dollars, I am officially calling for Governor Abbott to immediately replace him with the person Texans actually voted for to be Comptroller, Don Huffines. Kelly Hancock was rejected by Texans because he failed to do his job. He failed to take me down during impeachment, and his career is over. It's time for him to be fired."

The backstory:

Hancock was Abbott's pick for comptroller, but fell short of the Republican nomination for the role on March 3, when Huffines, a candidate further to the right than Abbott on the political compass, won by a wide margin. Huffines is set to represent the GOP in the general election in November. 

What we don't know:

Neither Hancock nor Abbott released a response to Paxton's request at the time of publishing. 

Hancock calls out Paxton

Paxton's charged comments came after Hancock sent a letter to his office that, among other things, took jabs at his handling of a case related to Islam in Texas. 

Hancock's letter puts a large amount of blame on Paxton for an Islamic school in Houston being temporarily eligible for the new state school voucher program. He asked Paxton to highlight the school's alleged ties to a group GOP leaders have labeled as terror-aligned, take steps to strip the school's corporate charter, and take further action against the allegedly terror-related Muslim Brotherhood group. 

Hancock's letter heavily implies Paxton has poorly handled the crusade against Islam in Texas.

What they're saying:

"You have publicly expressed your belief that it is imperative to prevent the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, and other terrorist organizations from operating in Texas," Hancock ends his letter. "You have also said '[r]adical Islamic terrorists are antithetical to law and order, endanger the people of Texas, and are an existential threat to our values.' We hope to take you at your word. Our students and our State are counting on it."

Islamic schools in Texas

Dig deeper:

The issue is rooted in a recent controversy over Islamic schools' place in a new state program. The comptroller's office is tasked with handling how the $8 billion in school voucher money is doled out, and Hancock recently came under legal fire for preventing Islamic private schools from benefiting from the program. 

After the schools sued, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, allowing the litigant schools access to the school choice program for the time being and extending the application deadline. 

Hancock claims the Houston Quran Academy and other Islamic private schools are affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamic organizations that Abbott and other leaders have decried as being tied to terrorism.