With barely a month to go before the May 26, 2026, Republican runoff for U.S. Senate, John Cornyn’s campaign is unloading on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over what it calls a “sweetheart deal” for a former Waco lawyer once facing a possible life sentence.
On April 20, 2026, Cornyn’s team went after Paxton after his office negotiated a plea that sharply cut down the charges against ex-attorney Adam Hoffman, turning a high-stakes sex abuse case into a pair of misdemeanors and a short jail stint.
As reported by the El Paso Times, Cornyn campaign senior adviser Matt Mackowiak accused Paxton of gutting a serious case. “Crooked Ken Paxton took a horrific first-degree felony case and reduced it down to two class A misdemeanors, initially suggesting it would accept no additional jail time,” he said, arguing the deal raises big questions about Paxton’s judgment and how he uses prosecutorial discretion while running for higher office.
How the Hoffman Plea Got Cut Down
Hoffman had been indicted on a first-degree continuous sexual abuse charge that could have carried a life sentence. His first trial ended in a mistrial in June 2025.
That case ultimately ended on very different terms. Under a plea negotiated by the Texas Attorney General’s Office, the charges were reduced to indecent assault and displaying harmful material to a minor, both Class A misdemeanors. Hoffman agreed to serve 30 days in jail starting April 27, give up his law license for at least five years, accept a lifetime ban on contact with the victim, and avoid registering as a sex offender, according to KWTX.
The initial offer from the state was even lighter, and it drew a sharp reaction in open court.
Visiting Judge Roy Sparkman, confronted with the prospect of a one-day jail deal, sounded incredulous. “So we are going from a first-degree felony to Class A misdemeanors with one day served? Seriously? Someone needs to sell me on this because I’ve got a big problem with only one day,” he said, according to KWTX.
The McLennan County District Attorney’s Office, which had recused itself from prosecuting the case, told reporters it shared the public’s concerns about where things ended up.
Runoff Stakes: Judgment, Baggage, and a Tight Clock
Cornyn’s campaign is betting that the Hoffman plea will resonate with primary voters as a clear example of what it calls Paxton’s poor judgment, just as GOP voters are about to decide who will take on Democrat James Talarico in November. The runoff will determine the party’s nominee, and both campaigns are already pouring money into ads and field operations, according to the AP.
Legal controversy is not exactly a new theme for Paxton. He has spent years navigating multiple legal fights and ethics questions, including scrutiny of how his office is run and a widely reported securities fraud agreement, a record detailed by The Texas Tribune. Cornyn’s aides are now folding the Hoffman plea into that broader narrative, arguing it is one more data point in a pattern that GOP voters should not ignore.
According to the El Paso Times, Cornyn’s team says it plans to hammer the plea deal repeatedly in the final weeks before the runoff. Paxton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
As the clock runs down, the fight over the Hoffman case is shaping up as more than a one-day headline. For Republican voters, it is being framed as a litmus test on a simple question: Does Paxton’s record as attorney general make him a hard-hitting nominee, or a political liability waiting to blow up in the general election?
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