$6.6 million awarded to whistleblowers fired for reporting Texas AG Paxton to FBI – Washington Examiner
A Texas district court has awarded over $6 million to four former aides of Attorney General Ken Paxton, who claimed they were wrongfully fired for reporting Paxton to the FBI for alleged misconduct. Travis County Judge Catherine Mauzy concluded that the plaintiffs successfully demonstrated retaliation in violation of the Texas Whistleblower Act. Each aide received between $1.1 million and $2.1 million. The firing occurred after they reported allegations that Paxton was using his office to accept bribes related to a personal relationship, which he has denied. Following the whistleblower report, Paxton dismissed the aides, leading them to sue in November 2020. In 2023, the Texas House moved to impeach Paxton on related charges, even though he was later acquitted in the Senate. Paxton has criticized the court ruling, calling it unfounded and announcing plans to appeal.
$6.6 million awarded to whistleblowers fired for reporting Texas AG Paxton to FBI
A district court judge awarded more than $6 million to former aides of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who said they were improperly fired after reporting Paxton to the FBI.
In her judgement, Travis County Judge Catherine Mauzy said the plaintiffs proved liability, damages, and attorney’s fees “by a preponderance of the evidence” in their complaint against the attorney general’s office for their firings. Each of the four was awarded between $1.1 and $2.1 million.
“Because the Office of the Attorney General violated the Texas Whistleblower Act by firing and otherwise retaliating against the plaintiff for in good faith reporting violations of law by Ken Paxton and OAG, the court hereby renders judgment for plaintiffs,” Mauzy stated.
The court found that the four Paxton aides were fired in retaliation after they reported allegations that he was using the Texas AG office to accept bribes from an Austin-based real estate developer who was employing a woman with whom he was having an affair. Paxton has denied accepting bribes or misusing his office.
Paxton was under federal investigation after eight employees reported his office to the FBI in 2020 for bribery allegations. In the following weeks after the whisleblowers’ report, Paxton fired them, prompting four to sue his office, claiming their firings were illegal.
In the days and weeks after the whistleblowers met with federal agents — a development they reported to Paxton — the attorney general fired them. Four of them sued Paxton in November 2020, alleging their dismissals were illegal under state law.
The Texas House rejected that request to settle on the taxpayers’ dime and conducted its own investigation, impeaching Paxton in 2023 on corruption and bribery charges. He was acquitted in the Texas Senate.
JAMES HO, THE 5TH CIRCUIT ORIGINALIST TIPPED AS THE HEIR TO CLARENCE THOMAS
“It should shock all Texans that their chief law enforcement officer, Ken Paxton, admitted to violating the law, but that is exactly what happened in this case,” Tom Nesbitt and TJ Turner, attorneys for three of the plaintiffs, said in a joint statement Friday evening. They noted that Paxton “admitted” to breaking the law to avoid being questioned under oath.
Paxton called the ruling “a ridiculous judgment that is not based on the facts or the law” and pointed blame at former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican, who led the Texas House effort to impeach him. He said he “will appeal this bogus ruling as we continue to clean up Dade Phelan’s mess.”
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