WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Spirit AeroSystems is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has been investigating the Wichita company.

In March, Paxton announced he was looking into Spirit AeroSystems because of “apparent manufacturing defects” in parts that “have led to numerous concerning or dangerous incidents.” He asked Spirit to turn over documents produced since the start of 2022 about communication with investors and Boeing about flaws in parts and corrective steps the company took.

He also wants the personnel file for Joshua Dean, the whistleblower who alleged that Spirit had failed to address defects along the Boeing 737 production line. Dean died on Tuesday.

This week, Spirit sued, saying the “Request to Examine” documents violates Spirit’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Spirit says the Request to Examine statute in Texas allows sweeping intrusions by the attorney general into privately owned records of companies doing business in Texas. Spirit wants a judge to declare the statute unconstitutional.

“Spirit AeroSystems brought this litigation seeking a determination whether the Texas statute at issue is constitutional under existing case law within the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court,” Forrest Gossett, Spirit’s senior manager of corporate communications, said. “Spirit AeroSystems does not intend to comment further on this pending litigation.”

The company is also suing Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson. Spirit said she is being sued because her office is where Spirit had to register to be able to do business in Texas.

Spirit has one operating facility in Texas. The company said 98 of its 20,655 employees worldwide work in Texas. Its Texas workers provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul services, specializing in repairing nacelle and flight control surfaces.

The lawsuit calls for the judge to issue a preliminary and permanent injunction against Paxton, Nelson, and other parties from using the statute and from revoking Spirit’s business registration in Texas.

KSN News has reached out to Paxton and Nelson for their response. We have not heard back yet.