Paxton’s office fired the aides who reported him to the FBI. A court ordered $6.6 million in damages, and taxpayers are paying it.

What happened

In November 2020, four former senior officials of the attorney general’s office sued, saying they were illegally fired after reporting Paxton to the FBI. They were Blake Brickman, David Maxwell, Mark Penley and Ryan Vassar. ⁰¹

In February 2023 the two sides reached a tentative $3.3 million settlement that depended on the Legislature paying for it. Lawmakers declined, and the House opened the investigation that led to Paxton’s impeachment. ⁰¹

In January 2024 Paxton said he would no longer contest the facts and would accept a judgment. ⁰² In November 2024 the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Paxton and three deputies did not have to give sworn depositions, because the office no longer disputed liability. ⁰³

On April 4, 2025, a Travis County district judge ruled that the office had violated the Whistleblower Act and awarded the four men about $6.6 million in total. ⁰⁴ Paxton first said he would appeal, then dropped the appeal in July 2025, leaving the judgment final. ⁰⁵

Why it matters

Texas taxpayers, not Paxton, owe the $6.6 million, and the Legislature has to set aside public money to pay it. ⁰⁵

It is the only case arising from the Nate Paul allegations that ended in a court judgment. Paxton stopped contesting the facts, and the Texas Supreme Court then ruled he did not have to testify under oath. ^{02 03 04}

What the sources show

The firings were never in dispute; the question was whether they were illegal retaliation. After Paxton’s office stopped contesting the facts, a state district court entered judgment that the office violated the Whistleblower Act. That judgment is an official court finding under the civil standard of proof, and it became final when the appeal was dropped. ^{04 05}

The Texas Supreme Court’s November 2024 ruling concerned depositions only and did not decide liability. ⁰³