D.C.-based DOJ investigators take over corruption probe into Attorney General Ken Paxton
Paxton’s lawyer had argued that federal prosecutors based out of San Antonio had an “obvious conflict” in the investigation. Full Story
James Barragán is a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune with a focus on accountability reporting. He is on leave during the 2023-24 academic year as a Nieman Fellow at Harvard. Prior to joining the Tribune, James worked as a statehouse reporter for The Dallas Morning News and had previous stints at the Austin American-Statesman and the Los Angeles Times. In 2021, James was a finalist for the Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Reporting for his coverage of Texas politics during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Southern California native, James received his bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA. He is based in Austin and is a native Spanish speaker.
Paxton’s lawyer had argued that federal prosecutors based out of San Antonio had an “obvious conflict” in the investigation. Full Story
Speaking in December, Patrick was less out front about conservative priorities like school book bans and restrictions to rights for transgender people. His priority bill list made clear those are a major part of his focus. Full Story
Paxton and the four whistleblowers asked the Texas Supreme Court to defer consideration of the case until they can finalize the settlement, after which they’ll move to end the case. Full Story
State officials have repeatedly had to move money from other departments to keep Gov. Greg Abbott’s multibillion-dollar border mission running this year. Full Story
Schwertner, a Georgetown Republican, was booked into the Travis County jail at 2:12 a.m. Full Story
A spokesperson for the secretary of state’s office said only a court order could force a redo of elections. Full Story
The state has spent $4 billion on border initiatives in the past two years, including $40 million to bus migrants out of Texas into Democrat-led cities. Full Story
Three of Paxton’s four former employees who sued him for unjustly firing them when they reported his actions to authorities are considering settling with the attorney general. Full Story
Patrick has made no qualms in the past about bending arms or using public pressure to get other state officials — including Gov. Greg Abbott — to go along with his plans. Full Story
Conservative activists have pushed for legislative leaders to ban Democrats from leading committees. Full Story