Ken Paxton’s office had sought to use state funds to settle retaliation charges brought by AG staffers who blew the whistle on alleged corruption
AUSTIN, Texas – New documents released Monday night show state budget writers added a provision that effectively blocks the office of Attorney General Ken Paxton from using taxpayer funds allocated to the office to settle a whistleblower lawsuit alleging retaliation for reporting corruption.
The provision is contained in the conference committee report (Page 7) reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions of the biennial state budget bill, HB 1, which must be finalized by May 29, when the legislative session is scheduled to conclude.
“The Legislature’s emphatic rejection of payment for this settlement imposes an important accountability measure for an attorney general that has evaded real consequences for various scandals clouding his office. The message to Paxton is clear: Taxpayers won’t pay to make this problem go away for you. You figure it out,” said Adrian Shelley, the Texas director of Public Citizen.
The included budget rider prohibits the attorney general’s office from “using any appropriated funds for the purposes of a settlement or judgment relating to lawsuits or claims filed under Chapter 554 of the Government Code,” commonly known as the Texas Whistleblower Act.
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