Texas AG Ken Paxton probes whether power companies’ diversity policies ignited fires

Far-right Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating whether power companies' diversity and climate policies were responsible for wildfires, Newsweek reported Friday.

Paxton "has launched an investigation into several utility companies linked to last year's destructive Smokehouse Creek and Windy Deuce fires, stating that they 'possibly' prioritized environmental, social, and governance (ESG) or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agendas over safety and necessary maintenance," said the report. Paxton's civil investigative letters were sent out to Xcel Energy and its subsidiary, Southwestern Public Services Company, as well as Osmose Utilities Services.

The Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest wildfire in the history of Texas, burned over one million acres, left two people and 15,000 livestock dead, destroyed 100 homes, and caused an estimated $123 million in damage. It was caused when a utility pole run by Xcel Energy broke, bringing live wires into contact with dry grass.

Paxton proclaimed in his statement that the targeted companies "may have acted negligently by failing to conduct necessary infrastructure maintenance and possibly prioritizing environmental, social, and governance ('ESG') or diversity, equity, and inclusion ('DEI') agendas over safety."

Paxton, who is currently challenging Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP Senate primary, did not elaborate on how diversity or climate policies could have contributed to the fires.

However, it is in line with his efforts to threaten and intimidate companies doing business in Texas against operating with such policies. Last month, Rolling Stone reporter Lauren Windsor obtained a secret recording of one of Paxton's top assistants bragging to oil executives that his office was using the threat of antitrust litigation and a shutdown of bond markets to jawbone Wells Fargo and other top banks to leave the global Net Zero Banking Alliance and reduce investment in clean energy.