Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is waving the white flag on the whistleblower lawsuit that led to his impeachment, stating earlier today that he'll throw in the towel and accept any judgment. This move scraps a deposition he'd been vigorously attempting to dodge. Paxton's office touted this about-face as a resolution to curb the ongoing, costly proceedings, but whistleblower’s attorney Tom Nesbitt disagrees, slamming it as "another desperate stunt by Ken Paxton to prevent the truth from coming out," as told to FOX San Antonio.
The Texas Supreme Court, populated by Republicans, didn't grant Paxton a pass last week when they ruled against him, prompting his recent decision to concede the case rather than be questioned under oath. This case, initiated by four ex-employees who claimed wrongful termination after reporting Paxton's suspected corruption to the FBI, at one point looked to be headed for a $3.3 million settlement. However, the Texas Legislature, which controlled the purse strings, decided not to hand over the funds. This settlement collapse resurrected the lawsuit after Paxton's Senate trial ended in acquittal, as detailed in a report by KUT.
"Ken Paxton has never answered questions about his illegal and corrupt conduct," Nesbitt asserted, painting the attorney general as "clearly terrified" of facing such scrutiny, KUT elaborated. While Paxton may wish to leave the legal tussle behind, Nesbitt and his clients appear ready to press on to ensure the once-silenced accusations against Paxton are aired in full.
According to Paxton, closing down the litigation aims to refocus attention on the responsibilities handed down by voters, putting a rest to the lawsuit and its "distractions," as he announced. Yet, the day in court the whistleblowers hunger for seems far from over. They allege Paxton used his office to aid Nate Paul, an Austin real estate mogul and campaign donor, in a quid pro quo corruption scheme. Paul is presently in hot water himself, facing federal indictment on unrelated financial crimes, shedding more light on the shadowed dealings that have engulfed Paxton's tenure. Nesbitt, representing whistleblower Blake Brickman, called Paxton's move a "stunt...to prevent the truth from coming out," according to KUT.
The embattled Texan AG finds himself still under the hot gaze of the FBI, which continues its own investigation of the whistleblowers' claims. Meanwhile, the Texas Legislature remains mum on whether it will ever finance the $3.3 million previously agreed upon with the plaintiffs.
