AUSTIN, TX — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released a statement on Thursday ending the current litigation with his former employees. Last summer, Paxton was accused of misusing the powers of his office by whistle-blowers in the Office of the Attorney General. The Texas House brought up articles of impeachment against Paxton soon after. The case concluded with the Attorney General fully acquitted of all 16 articles of impeachment.
“The OAG chose to settle this case last year, with the full participation of the plaintiffs and their attorneys,” Paxton said in the statement on Thursday. “But the plaintiffs backed out of that settlement after I was fully acquitted. Instead of moving on with terms mutually agreeable to both sides, these rogue former employees disavowed their own settlement and escalated their crusade against me.”
While the plaintiffs initially settled before the impeachment trial ended, it seems like the fact Paxton kept his job emboldened the plaintiffs to go after him more aggressively once he was acquitted.
"For these reasons, today, my office acted to end this wasteful litigation by filing an amended answer that—consistent with the previous decision to settle this case—will enable the trial court to enter a final judgment without any further litigation,” Paxton continued. “By taking this action, the OAG has put an end to the plaintiffs’ long-running political stunt and re-committed the entirety of agency expertise and resources to our urgent legal initiatives, including our era-defining immigration lawsuits against the Biden Administration.”
This decision comes at a time when the Texas State government is in a legal battle with the Biden Administration over Shelby Park in Eagle Pass. Illegal migrants have used Shelby Park, a City of Eagle Pass municipal park, as a staging ground and border crossing over the past year. The Federal government threatened the Texas State Government after the Texas Militia took over Shelby Park and barred Border Patrol agents from access. Read more about the situation HERE.
Tony Buzbee (left) with Paxton and associate defense attorney Mitch Little. (AP)
“At a time when President Biden is attempting to confiscate Texas state parks and destroy border barriers to ensure a continuous flow of illegal immigration—issues the OAG is currently litigating—I will not allow our focus to waver from defending the rights of the people of Texas and leading the nation’s many fights against unconstitutional federal overreach. Texas’s sovereignty and America’s future are at risk. The stakes have never been higher. I will not allow my office to be distracted by these disgruntled former employees and their self-serving sideshow,” Paxton said.
It seems like Paxton and the Texas Attorney General’s Office find the current litigation against the Attorney General to be nothing more than a distraction from his actual duties at this point in time. The border crisis continues to be a massive problem for Texas residents, and disgruntled former employees, in Paxton’s view, should be way down on the list of priorities.
Whether anyone approves of the Texas Attorney General or not, the man still has a job to do. Many might feel like the settlement shows some truth to the allegations, but Paxton is correct in saying that continued legal action will only cost the Texas taxpayers more money.
Meanwhile, the whistleblowers claim Paxton's move Thursday morning is a smoke screen. They vow to continue litigating.
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