Paxton kept taking campaign money from Paul Pressler after Pressler was accused of sexually abusing a boy for years, and backed the law partner accused of enabling him

What happened

In October 2017, Duane Rollins sued Paul Pressler, a former state appeals judge and religious-right leader, alleging Pressler sexually abused him for years beginning when he was 14. The suit also named Pressler’s wife, Nancy, and his law partner, Jared Woodfill. Pressler denied the allegations. ⁰¹

Paxton’s campaign reports to the Texas Ethics Commission list contributions from Paul Pressler in 2016 and 2017, and again in fall 2018, after the lawsuit had become public. ^{03 04 05} A 2022 report lists a contribution from Nancy Pressler. ⁰⁶

Rollins’ claims were backed by other sworn affidavits, and in a deposition Woodfill testified that for years he had used the law firm’s money to pay young men to work out of Pressler’s home despite repeated warnings about Pressler’s behavior. The lawsuit was settled in late 2023. ⁰²

In February 2024, weeks after the settlement, Woodfill was running for the Texas House with Paxton’s backing. At a Houston fundraiser with Woodfill, Paxton praised Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine, a former Woodfill & Pressler lawyer who had not recused himself from the abuse case, and attacked Devine’s critics. ⁰²

Why it matters

Paxton campaigns as a protector of children. He kept accepting money from a man publicly accused of years of child sexual abuse, and then put his political support behind the law partner accused of enabling him. ^{01 02 05}

What the sources show

The contributions come from Paxton’s own filings with the Texas Ethics Commission. The abuse allegations were made in a civil lawsuit that settled without a trial; Pressler denied them. ^{01 02 05 06}