AUSTIN, Texas — Attorney General Ken Paxton will have to answer questions under oath in connection to a whistleblower lawsuit alleging corruption in his office. 

What You Need To Know

  • On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court denied state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s appeal to avoid deposition, a major win for the four whistleblowers suing Paxton for wrongful termination and retaliation after they reported him to the FBI for alleged wrongdoing

  • The former staffers allege that Paxton abused his office to benefit a friend and campaign donor Nate Paul

  • The ruling was a split decision by the state’s highest court with two of the justices, John Devine and Jimmy Blacklock, dissenting in part

  • Previously, a Travis County district judge ordered Paxton to testify by Feb. 9

On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court denied state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s appeal to avoid deposition, a major win for the four whistleblowers suing Paxton for wrongful termination and retaliation after they reported him to the FBI for alleged wrongdoing. 

The former staffers allege that Paxton abused his office to benefit a friend and campaign donor Nate Paul, who was indicted on federal fraud charges in June, among other things. In February of last year, the group reached a $3.3 million tentative settlement agreement with the Office of Attorney General, but it was contingent upon the Texas Legislature approving the funding, which has yet to be approved. 

Spectrum News 1 previously reported that the whistleblowers would like to see Paxton and his associates answer questions under oath. 

“Ken Paxton will have to testify in open court. Or plead the Fifth in open court,” Blake Brickman, one of the whistleblowers said.

The ruling was a split decision by the state’s highest court with two of the justices, John Devine and Jimmy Blacklock, dissenting in part.

The dissenting justices said they would stay the order for the depositions of Paxton, Brent Webster and Lesley French Henneke, and they would instruct the district court to consider ordering the deposition of Paxton and other higher-ranking officials only after lower-ranking employees had been deposed. 

Justice Evan Young did not participate in the case. 

“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,” attorneys for the whistleblowers said in a joint statement to the Dallas Morning News.

Previously, a Travis County district judge ordered Paxton to testify by Feb. 9.

The Dallas Morning News also reached out to whistleblower attorney Tom Nesbitt about the news. 

“He has played so long for delay in this case because he is terrified to answer questions about his corrupt conduct,” whistleblower attorney Tom Nesbitt said in a text message to a Dallas Morning News reporter. “He should be.”

Back in September, Paxton was acquitted by the Texas Senate on impeachment charges, which stemmed from the allegations that the whistleblowers brought forward.