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Texas Attorney General Settles Corruption Suit With $3 Million in Taxpayer Dollars

Ken Paxton had been accused of abusing his office and granting political favors to an Austin real estate developer.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has agreed to a $3.3 million settlement with a group of former staffers who accused him of corruption—and taxpayers will be footing the bill. Under the terms of the settlement, Paxton admitted no guilt for the charges of bribery and abuse of office that had been leveled against him but did apologize for calling his accusers “rogue employees.” The charges stemmed from allegations that Paxton used his office to grant political favors to Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who allegedly also hired a woman with whom Paxton was having an extramarital affair. Paxton, who is still under federal investigation for corruption, will now no longer need to sit for a civil deposition, though the settlement does not limit his accusers’ ability to speak publicly or cooperate with federal prosecutors. According to reporting by the Associated Press, the scandal spurred high-profile resignations in Paxton’s office, though he remains popular with voters and cruised to re-election in 2022.