6 Apr 2025

Judge Awards $6.6 million to Four Whistleblowers Fired by Texas AG in Retaliation

by Bonnie | | 0

Travis County District Court Judge Catherine Mauzy awarded $6.6 million to four former senior aides of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for being fired after reporting him to the FBI.

Eight of Paxton’s aides reported him to the FBI in September 2020 for using his office to grant favors to friend and Austin real estate investor Nate Paul. Paxton fired them. Four of them sued him in November 2020.

Retaliation against whistleblowers is a crime under the Texas Whistleblower Act. Paxton admitted in a statement that he broke that law to avoid having to testify under oath.

Paxton offered to settle for $3.3 million with the four who had sued. In 2023 he asked the Texas House to fund the settlement. Legislators asked why taxpayers should pay. This led to an investigation by the state House ethics committee began investigating Paxton, then impeachment in May 2023 for corruption and bribery. In the heavily Republican legislature, Paxton survived impeachment. The state Senate acquitted him of 16 charges and dismissed 4 charges.

The whistleblowers Blake Brickman, Mark Penley, David Maxwell and Ryan Vassar were awarded $1.1 to $2.1 million each for lost wages, emotional pain, lawyers’ fees and other trial costs. They are also awarded additional attorneys’ fees if they get through appeals successfully. This includes up to $20,000 each for stages of review at the state Supreme Court.

Paxton said he will appeal the ruling.

Click here for more details.

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