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.
Emma Platoff
Emma Platoff was a reporter at the Tribune from 2017 to 2021, most recently covering the law and its intersection with politics. A graduate of Yale University, Emma is the former managing editor of the Yale Daily News.
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Criminal Justice
As Ken Paxton battles scandal, Land Commissioner George P. Bush considering a 2022 run for attorney general
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.
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Politics
Pointing to pandemic and election controversies, Democrats make their case for Texas Supreme Court
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.
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Criminal Justice
Judge rules Ken Paxton’s 5-year-old criminal case can be heard in his hometown of Collin County
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.
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Politics
The attorney general’s office has sidelined four of the seven whistleblowers who reported Ken Paxton to law enforcement
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.
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Politics
Second whistleblower fired from Texas attorney general’s office after accusing Ken Paxton of bribery
Blake Brickman and Lacey Mase, two whistleblowers who accused their boss of crimes including bribery and abuse of office, were both fired Tuesday.
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Politics
Top aide in Texas attorney general’s office terminated after accusing Ken Paxton of bribery
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.
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Criminal Justice
Defending himself against criminal allegations, Ken Paxton gave his first interview to a website identified as part of a pay-for-play network
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.
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Reopening Texas Schools
Texas schools tell teachers with medical risks they must return to classrooms during the pandemic
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.
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State Government
Gov. Greg Abbott picks Rebeca Huddle for Texas Supreme Court vacancy
Abbott, a former Texas Supreme Court justice himself, picked Huddle to serve on the all-Republican high court.