The Texas Supreme Court has refused to block Attorney General Ken Paxton's deposition in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by former top-ranking deputies. As KXAN reports, the court's decision on Friday means Paxton must now prepare to give sworn testimony concerning allegations that he fired these deputies as retaliation for reporting him to federal authorities. The whistleblowers accused Paxton of bribery and abuse of power in favor of a supporter and donor, the Austin real estate developer Nate Paul.
The emergency motion to avoid deposition was filed by the OAG earlier this week but has now failed to convince the high court. Following this, in a definitive move, the depositions of Paxton and his aides have been mandated. The Houston Chronicle notes that Justices John Devine and Jimmy Blacklock were the dissenting votes, suggesting lower-ranking officials should be deposed first. However, Paxton’s legal team has no further avenues for appeal, and the clock is ticking towards a Feb. 9 deadline set by Travis County District Judge Jan Soifer for the testimony to occur.
Notably, the same whistleblowers' claims against Paxton previously sparked impeachment charges in the Texas House, although he was later acquitted by the Senate. The case continues to draw significant attention, not just for its impacts on Paxton's political career, but also for the light it shines on the operations within the Texas Office of the Attorney General.
Following the court's ruling, attorneys for the whistleblowers expressed their readiness to proceed. "We look forward to the opportunity to finally place the attorney general and the other witnesses under oath and question them about the facts in our lawsuit," they said in a joint statement obtained by both outlets. Meanwhile, the details of Nate Paul's involvement remain under scrutiny, especially since he is also to receive a subpoena and deposition notice, with a scheduled testimony on February 21.
