RETALIATION?

Whistleblower Lawsuit Accuses Texas AG of Abusing Office to Benefit Political Donor, Mistress

AG Ken Paxton allegedly fired top aides who called him out for abusing his office.

A whistleblower lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleged that he abused his office in order to benefit himself, a political donor, and a woman with whom he was having an affair, before firing top aides who called him out on it, according to The Texas Tribune. Former deputy attorney general for criminal justice, Mark Penley, former director of law enforcement, David Maxwell, and six other senior colleagues wrote that over a series of months “the Attorney General became less rational in his decision making and more unwilling to listen to reasonable objections to his instructions, and placed increasing, unusual priority on matters involving [Nate] Paul,” an Austin real-estate investor who’s donated to Paxton’s re-election campaign. Media reports allege that Paxton’s office got involved in a legal matter that seemed to benefit Paul on at least four occasions. Paul also reportedly hired a woman with whom Paxton was having an affair at the attorney general’s request.

The whistleblowers ask for compensation for their lost wages, future loss of earnings, reinstatement, and compensation for emotional pain and suffering damage. In a statement reported by journalist Tony Plohetski, Paxton said that his business with Paul was legitimate and that “to be clear, I have never been motivated by a desire to protect a political donor or to abuse this office, nor will I ever.”