A district court judge has awarded over $6 million to four whistleblowers who filed a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after being fired shortly after reporting him to the FBI.
Travis County Judge Catherine Mauzy ruled that the plaintiffs proved their case, stating that the Attorney General’s Office violated the Texas Whistleblower Act by retaliating against them for reporting alleged misconduct by Paxton. The court found that the whistleblowers were dismissed for raising concerns about Paxton allegedly accepting bribes from Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who employed a woman with whom Paxton was reportedly having an affair. Paxton has denied these allegations.
The judgment confirmed that the whistleblowers made their reports to law enforcement in good faith, and Paxton’s office did not dispute any of the claims or damages in the lawsuit.
In response, attorneys for the plaintiffs expressed shock, stating that it was surprising that Texas’ chief law enforcement officer was found to have violated the law. Paxton, however, dismissed the ruling as “ridiculous” and announced plans to appeal, claiming it was not based on facts or law.
Paxton was previously under federal investigation after eight employees reported him to the FBI in 2020 over bribery allegations. He settled a related lawsuit for $3.3 million, a sum initially intended to be paid by the Legislature, but it was rejected. This led to an impeachment by the Texas House in 2023, although he was later acquitted by the Senate.
Additionally, the Texas Supreme Court recently overturned a lower-court decision requiring Paxton to testify in the lawsuit. The U.S. Justice Department had also been investigating Paxton but chose not to pursue the case in the final weeks of the Biden administration.