Whistleblower Judgment Sparks Appeal Amid Paxton’s Senate Run
AUSTIN — In a pivotal legal battle, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is appealing a nearly $6.7 million judgment awarded to four whistleblowers who reported him for alleged criminal conduct. This appeal, filed in Travis County district court, comes just as Paxton embarks on a campaign for the U.S. Senate.
In April, a Travis County judge ruled in favor of former Paxton aides James “Blake” Brickman, David Maxwell, Mark Penley, and Ryan Vassar, awarding damages for lost wages, pain and suffering, and attorney fees following their wrongful termination under the Whistleblower Act. This law protects public employees from retaliation for reporting legal violations.
The awarded amount significantly exceeds the $3.3 million Paxton’s office previously agreed to pay in a failed settlement attempt that lawmakers declined to fund. Funding for this new judgment would require approval from state legislators.
Brickman, a key whistleblower and former policy director in Paxton’s office, criticized the appeal, labeling it a move motivated by Paxton’s "brazen dishonesty" and misuse of taxpayer resources for personal gain. The whistleblowers accused Paxton of using his position to benefit real estate investor Nate Paul, who recently faced legal repercussions for fraudulent activities, including giving questionable renovations to Paxton’s home.
Despite being acquitted in a high-profile impeachment trial earlier this year, Paxton has remained a controversial figure, with similar claims of dodging accountability. He once promised not to appeal the whistleblower case but appears to be doing just that, further complicating a narrative already fraught with scandal.
The outcome of this appeal, as the election looms, could have significant implications for both Paxton’s political future and the integrity of state governance.
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