Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton agreed to pay $3.3 million in taxpayer money to four former aides who claim they were fired after accusing him of corruption and prompting a federal probe, according to a preliminary lawsuit settlement.
The embattled Republican attorney general also agreed to make a public apology for referring to the terminated aides as “rogue employees,” a mediated agreement filed Friday with the Texas Supreme Court showed. However, he won’t admit to any of the accusations that prompted the FBI report, according to the document.
“I have chosen this path to save taxpayer dollars and ensure my third term as Attorney General is unburdened by unnecessary distractions,” Paxton said in a statement. “This settlement achieves these goals.”
The case is one of several high-profile legal skirmishes Paxton faces involving allegations of wrongdoing. He remains under indictment for two counts of securities fraud and one count of failing to register as a securities adviser for his business dealings prior to being elected to serve as the state’s top attorney.
While in office, Paxton has cultivated a reputation as a conservative firebrand known for his fierce loyalty to former President Donald Trump. He brought an unsuccessful US Supreme Court case challenging the outcome of the 2020 election, which prompted the Texas State Bar to sue him for...
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