Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced the end of a long-standing employment lawsuit against his office by four former employees. In a statement released by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), Paxton expressed that the decision to end the litigation was made in the best interests of the State of Texas and to avoid wasting taxpayer resources.
Paxton highlighted that last year, the OAG had already chosen to settle the case with the plaintiffs and their attorneys. However, the plaintiffs withdrew from the settlement after Paxton was fully acquitted in an impeachment trial. He stated, "Instead of moving on with terms mutually agreeable to both sides, these rogue former employees disavowed their own settlement and escalated their crusade against me."
The Attorney General emphasized that the objective of the former employees was not to resolve an employment lawsuit but to undermine his leadership and the agency. He added, "It has become increasingly clear their objective is not to resolve an employment lawsuit but to sabotage my leadership and this agency, ultimately aiming to undermine Texas as the nation’s leader against the federal government’s unlawful policies."
Paxton also pointed out that the Legislature had expressed its negative opinion about the strength of the plaintiffs' case by refusing to use taxpayer dollars to fund their claims. He stated, "Whether a verdict will be funded in whole, in part, or not at all would be determined entirely by the Legislature."
To put an end to this "wasteful litigation," the OAG filed an amended answer that would allow the trial court to enter a final judgment without further litigation. Paxton emphasized that this action would bring an end to the plaintiffs' "long-running political stunt" and enable the OAG to focus on urgent legal initiatives, including immigration lawsuits against the Biden Administration.
"We will not allow our focus to waver from defending the rights of the people of Texas and leading the nation’s many fights against unconstitutional federal overreach," Paxton declared. He further expressed his commitment to upholding law and order and aggressively defending Texans' rights against violations of the United States Constitution by the Biden Administration.
In conclusion, Attorney General Ken Paxton has made the decision to end the litigation with former employees in order to eliminate distractions and refocus the agency's expertise and resources on important legal initiatives. The OAG remains dedicated to defending the rights of Texans and challenging unconstitutional federal overreach.