Past Contributions

• All seven of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's whistleblowers have resigned, been fired or put on leave

  By Emma Platoff Updated: Oct. 28, 2020

  The last of the seven whistleblowers, Ryan Bangert, said he resigned Wednesday. Two others had already resigned, two more were fired last week, and two were put on leave earlier this month. Full Story 

• As Ken Paxton battles scandal, Land Commissioner George P. Bush considering a 2022 run for attorney general

  By Emma Platoff and Cassandra Pollock Oct. 26, 2020

  An aide said Bush has heard from “several donors” who want him to consider running. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, meanwhile, “is absolutely planning on running again,” a spokesman said. Full Story 

• Pointing to pandemic and election controversies, Democrats make their case for Texas Supreme Court

  By Emma Platoff Oct. 24, 2020

  Democrats argue the high court's pandemic-related decisions show GOP incumbents should be unseated in November. Republicans say the virus is another argument for sticking with the status quo. Full Story 

• Judge rules Ken Paxton's 5-year-old criminal case can be heard in his hometown of Collin County

  By Emma Platoff Oct. 23, 2020

  The Harris County judge’s order reverses a decision that the state’s top lawyer should not face a jury in the North Texas region where he and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, are deeply connected in political circles. Full Story 

• The attorney general's office has sidelined four of the seven whistleblowers who reported Ken Paxton to law enforcement

  By Emma Platoff Oct. 23, 2020

  Two were fired and two placed on leave — moves employment attorneys say will likely spark a whistleblower lawsuit. A spokesperson for Paxton said the personnel changes were not related to the whistleblower allegations. Full Story 

• Second whistleblower fired from Texas attorney general's office after accusing Ken Paxton of bribery

  By Emma Platoff Oct. 22, 2020

  Blake Brickman and Lacey Mase, two whistleblowers who accused their boss of crimes including bribery and abuse of office, were both fired Tuesday. Full Story 

• Top aide in Texas attorney general's office terminated after accusing Ken Paxton of bribery

  By Emma Platoff Updated: Oct. 20, 2020

  The departure "was not voluntary," said Lacey Mase, one of several senior aides who said Attorney General Ken Paxton used his office to serve the interests of a donor. Full Story 

• Defending himself against criminal allegations, Ken Paxton gave his first interview to a website identified as part of a pay-for-play network

  By Emma Platoff Oct. 20, 2020

  Ian Prior, a Republican operative who promoted the story for the Texas attorney general's campaign, denied that the campaign had paid the Southeast Texas Record to publish it. “Definitive no,” he said. Full Story 

• Texas schools tell teachers with medical risks they must return to classrooms during the pandemic

  By Aliyya Swaby and Emma Platoff Oct. 20, 2020

  Several school districts are trying to accommodate teachers with health conditions who want to work from home, but many are being called back in as more students return to classrooms. Full Story 

• Gov. Greg Abbott picks Rebeca Huddle for Texas Supreme Court vacancy

  By Emma Platoff Oct. 15, 2020

  Abbott, a former Texas Supreme Court justice himself, picked Huddle to serve on the all-Republican high court. Full Story