Ken Paxton

Texas AG Ken Paxton ordered to testify under oath in whistleblower lawsuit

After Paxton’s fight to block the deposition fell short, a judge told him to appear Feb. 1, saying the order was needed because the attorney general’s office did not negotiate in good faith

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In another legal blow to Ken Paxton, a Travis County judge on Friday ordered the attorney general to answer questions, under oath, from lawyers for four agency executives who were fired in 2020 after accusing Paxton of bribery and other misconduct.

District Judge Jan Soifer ordered Paxton to testify by deposition on Feb. 1, saying the mandate was required because the attorney general’s office had “failed to negotiate in good faith” to schedule testimony by Paxton and several top aides.

Soifer’s order came one day after Paxton announced that his agency would stop fighting the lawsuit, which argued that the four executives were improperly fired in retaliation for reporting Paxton to the FBI. Paxton said the attorney general’s office would not contest the allegations and would accept whatever damage award Soifer imposed, with the payment subject to approval by the Legislature.

Soifer also ordered Paxton’s second-in-command, his chief of staff and a high-ranking adviser to answer questions under oath next month.

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