AUSTIN — Attorney General Ken Paxton’s agency has spent about $700,000 on outside attorneys to fight a lawsuit from former employees who have accused him of corruption and bribery.
Records obtained by The Dallas Morning News under state public information laws showed attorneys from a national law firm charged for about 1,000 hours of work in the case over three years. Paxton’s office recently filed legal papers stating it will no longer contest the whistleblower lawsuit to avoid spending more money fighting the case.
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Critics, including the whistleblower plaintiffs, have said Paxton’s office surrendered to protect the attorney general and three top staffers from having to testify under oath.
Related:Whistleblower lawsuit to continue despite AG Ken Paxton’s concession
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The invoices show the Lewis Brisbois law firm has billed for legal work by a dozen lawyers and paralegals in the case. Lead attorney Bill Helfand, at $540 an hour, billed nearly 300 hours of work on the lawsuit.
Helfand did not respond to a message seeking comment.
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