Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, that pugilistic legal crusader, is backing down from a battle with four of his former top deputies-turned-whistleblowers who went public with accusations of their boss’s corrupt relationship with an Austin real estate mogul and campaign donor.
Late last week, Paxton’s office announced it had reached a settlement for $3.3 million with the ex-senior AG officials who claimed Paxton had illegally retaliated against them for their actions. While Paxton maintains the group’s bribery allegations are false, the attorney general agreed to apologize for calling them “rogue employees.”
The settlement—which would be footed by taxpayers—isn’t final until legislators sign off, but if approved it would mark yet another act pulled off by the most talented political escape artist in Texas as he navigates the long-term fallout of the most serious and sordid scandal in his ethically fraught career. After surviving a primary challenge that centered on his corruption and easily securing a third term in November, the sole remaining legal threat from this particular episode is the FBI probe that has been ongoing for over two years, with no charges yet filed.
