The Many Times Ken Paxton Refused to Defend Texas Agencies in Court
The Texas attorney general said he’s “back to work” after his recent acquittal, but his office has repeatedly declined to fulfill one of its key duties: representing state agencies who are being sued.
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In this first-of-its-kind collaboration, ProPublica and the Texas Tribune work together to publish investigative reporting for and about Texas.
The Texas Attorney General Is Supposed to Represent State Agencies. Ken Paxton Has Repeatedly Refused To.
Records obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune give deeper insight into how Paxton’s representation denials often pushed agencies to look for outside legal counsel that was ultimately funded by taxpayers.
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Rethink Funding for Child ID Kits After Investigation
A bill that would require purchasing the kits is facing key opposition after ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found no evidence that they’d ever been used to find a missing child. The probe previously spurred Texas to strip millions in funding.
Judge Rules Texas DPS Must Release Withheld Documents Related to the Uvalde School Shooting
The ruling marks the first step toward disclosing the extensive collection of police documents, though the state agency could choose to fight the ruling by appealing the decision.
Impeached Texas Attorney General Partnered With Troubled Businessman to Push Opioid Program
While launching a statewide program to distribute packets to dissolve opioids, Attorney General Ken Paxton worked to connect its leaders with the state’s comptroller, who oversees the distribution of millions of dollars in opioid settlement money.
Texas Pulls Funding for Child ID Kits After Investigation Finds Little Evidence of Their Effectiveness
Lawmakers were slated to spend millions of taxpayer dollars for the kits but changed course after a series of revelations in a ProPublica and Texas Tribune investigation.
Texas Public Records Transparency Bill That Got Lost Amid GOP Infighting Finally Headed to Governor’s Desk
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he always intended to sign the measure but pulled it aside in response to the House playing “games” at the end of the legislative session.
Texas Bill to Increase Transparency in Public Records Law Left in Limbo Despite Passing Legislature
The bill would close a long-standing loophole in state law that allows officials to withhold law enforcement records if no one was convicted in a case. The measure was the only bill sent to the Senate that did not get signed and sent to the governor.
Texas Legislature Closes Gun Background Check Loophole
State lawmakers passed a bill requiring courts to report involuntary mental health hospitalizations of juveniles for inclusion in the federal gun background check system. The law closes a gap revealed by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune in 2022.
