A judge awarded a total of $6.6 million to four former high-level aides to Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, who claimed that they were unduly fired after reporting him to federal investigators and accusing him of corruption in 2020.
The plaintiffs — Blake Brickman, Mark Penley, David Maxwell and Ryan Vassar — proved that the attorney general’s office violated the state’s whistle-blower act, Judge Catherine Mauzy of a district court in Travis County ruled on Friday.
Each plaintiff was awarded between $1 million and more than $2 million for lost wages, emotional pain, legal fees and other costs associated with the trial.
“The Court finds that Plaintiffs have proved liability, damages, and reasonable and necessary attorney’s fees by a preponderance of the evidence,” Judge Mauzy wrote in her ruling.
Judge Mauzy also noted that Mr. Paxton never disputed any issue or fact in the case, opting not to contest his office’s liability. Mr. Paxton did not testify.
Tom Nesbitt, a lawyer for Mr. Brickman, celebrated the decision.
“Yesterday’s judgment is the natural and intended consequence of Ken Paxton’s choice to surrender rather than fight the whistle-blowers’ claims in court,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
The plaintiffs and other aides notified Mr. Paxton’s office in late 2020 that they had gone to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and accused him of using his public office to help Nate Paul, a political donor to Mr. Paxton.
In November 2020, the four advisers were fired, at which point they sued, arguing that their dismissals were illegal.
Mr. Paxton condemned the ruling, and said that he plans to appeal.
“Now a liberal Austin judge wants the people of Texas to pay even more for the Phelan/Biden corrupt impeachment scheme with a ridiculous judgment that is not based on the facts or the law,” he said in a statement on Saturday, referring to Dade Phelan, who was the Texas House speaker during Mr. Paxton’s impeachment, and former president Joe Biden.
Judge Mauzy also ordered the Texas attorney general’s office to pay some legal fees for the plaintiffs if her decision were appealed to the Supreme Court of Texas.
In 2023, a Republican-led committee in the Texas Legislature recommended Mr. Paxton’s impeachment over allegations of corruption and abuse of office.
House investigators said that Mr. Paul, a real estate developer, paid for renovations at Mr. Paxton’s home in Austin in return for favors. Mr. Paxton was accused of sharing confidential documents with Mr. Paul and hiring a lawyer for him. Both Mr. Paul and Mr. Paxton have denied the allegations.
Federal investigators were also looking into these allegations, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute Mr. Paxton in the final weeks of President Biden’s term, The Associated Press reported.
In September 2023, the Texas Senate acquitted Mr. Paxton in a vote that fell largely along party lines.
Mr. Paxton, a Republican considering a Senate run against the Republican senator, John Cornyn, called the federal investigation a “bogus witch hunt” on social media on Thursday.
Mr. Brickman, one of the plaintiffs, criticized Mr. Paxton’s intent to appeal the Travis County case.
“Paxton now wants to appeal? He literally already admitted he broke the law to @SupremeCourt_TX and the Travis County District Court — all to stop his own deposition,” Mr. Brickman said on social media on Friday.
