AUSTIN, Texas — Attorney General Ken Paxton’s accusers got a big win Friday. The all-Republican Texas Supreme Court sided with four former Paxton top deputies and cleared the way for their whistleblower lawsuit to move forward.

The whistleblowers sued the attorney general’s office in 2020 for wrongful termination and retaliation after they reported Paxton to the FBI for alleged wrongdoing, including abuse of office to benefit friend and campaign donor Nate Paul. They almost settled with Paxton for $3.3 million earlier this year, but when Paxton asked the Legislature to pay for it with taxpayer dollars, the Texas House began investigating the whistleblowers’ claims. That led to Paxton’s impeachment in the House in May. He was acquitted earlier this month by the Senate. 

Earlier this week, the whistleblowers asked the high court to jump-start their case again saying it needs return to a real court. It had been on pause pending the possible settlement. The lawsuit will continue in a Travis County trial court.

"We are looking forward to obtaining a trial setting and to preparing this case for trial as soon as possible,” the whistleblowers' lawyers said in a statement Friday.

Paxton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.