‘There Are No Coincidences in Austin’: Paxton Surrenders in Whistleblower Case
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today attempted to drop his defense in a lawsuit brought against his office by four former top aides who blew the whistle on their boss’s alleged corruption. The allegations against Paxton were the basis of his impeachment by the Texas House of Representatives last year. Attorneys for the whistleblowers say that today’s move does not mean the end of the case.
Adrian Shelley, Texas director of Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“To borrow a phrase from a Paxton defense attorney, there are no coincidences in Austin. Last Friday, the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court denied Paxton’s attempt to dodge a sworn deposition as part of the whistleblower lawsuit. Today, as he faced the prospect of answering questions under oath, Paxton is asking to surrender. Now, he is willing to admit to any allegations brought by the plaintiffs to end the litigation. The attorney general may spin this legal maneuver any way he wants. It’s clear he’s doing anything he can to avoid answering questions under oath, something he refused to do at his impeachment trial in the Texas Senate.
“Paxton has been running from accountability for years. Now he is running out of options. With a state securities trial looming, a reported federal grand jury investigation and other legal troubles, he may finally face accountability. He can start by telling the truth in this whistleblower case.”