AUSTIN — A Travis County district judge heard testimony Wednesday from attorneys representing four senior officials who were fired after reporting Attorney General Ken Paxton to law enforcement for alleged criminal conduct in 2020.
The attorneys provided supplemental evidence under oath to the reasonableness and necessity of their fees as Judge Catherine Mauzy considers how much to award their clients for damages.
James “Blake” Brickman, David Maxwell, Mark Penley and Ryan Vassar — former top officials in the attorney general’s office — sued the agency in November 2020 for alleged violations of the Texas Whistleblower Act, which prohibits retaliation against public employees who report a violation of law in good faith.
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They accused Paxton of using his office to benefit Austin real estate developer and campaign contributor Nate Paul, whom they alleged renovated Paxton’s Austin home and employed a woman Paxton reportedly had a romantic relationship with.
The attorneys reached a $3.3 million settlement agreement in 2023, but the Legislature did not fund it during that legislative session.
In a January 2024 court filing, Paxton’s office said it “elects not to contest any issue of fact in this case, as to the claim or damages.” And in November, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Paxton and...
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