Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced several senior staff promotions, appointing Ralph Molina as Deputy First Assistant Attorney General, Joseph Mazzara as Special Counsel to the Attorney General and to the First Assistant Attorney General, Ryan Baasch as Associate Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation, and Amy Hilton as Chief of the Healthcare Program Enforcement Division.
“I am pleased to congratulate Ralph, Joseph, Ryan, and Amy, who have been indispensable assets to our agency. Their expertise has helped us deliver on the promise of liberty and justice for Texas,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Our team of dedicated public servants works tirelessly to protect the rights of Texans, defend our Constitution, and make our State proud.”
Ralph Molina was appointed Deputy First Assistant Attorney General. He most recently served as Deputy Attorney General for Legal Strategy, managing the Legal Strategy Division and the Special Litigation Division. In this role, he provided guidance and oversight over significant litigation in Texas. During law school, Mr. Molina clerked in both the General Litigation Division and the Administrative Law Division. After graduating from Yale University and the University of Texas School of Law, he joined OAG permanently in August 2019.
“I am honored to serve as Deputy First Assistant Attorney General,” said Mr. Molina. “I am extremely grateful to Attorney General Paxton for giving me the opportunity to serve the great state of Texas in this critical role.”
Joseph N. Mazzara will serve as Special Counsel to the Attorney General and to the First Assistant Attorney General. Previously an Assistant Solicitor General, he litigated some of Texas's most significant cases in various courts including the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to joining OAG in September 2022, Mr. Mazzara clerked for several judges and served as in-house counsel for President Trump’s national re-election campaign.
Ryan Baasch will serve as Associate Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation after serving as Chief of the Consumer Protection Division since July 2023. He joined OAG in October 2021 as Assistant Solicitor General and successfully litigated important appeals including Texas v. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Amy Hilton will serve as Chief of the Healthcare Program Enforcement Division after serving as Managing Attorney for the Special Litigation Division since returning from representing AG Paxton against impeachment charges. She began her career at OAG in 2016 with complex litigation against major pharmaceutical companies.