Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office fires last whistleblower who called for his investigation

click to enlarge COURTESY PHOTO / TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE

  • Courtesy Photo / Texas Attorney General’s Office

The Texas Attorney General’s Office has fired the final remaining whistleblower who asked authorities to investigate whether AG Ken Paxton abused his office by doing favors for a political donor.

Deputy Attorney General for Legal Counsel Ryan Vassar, who’d already been put on leave from the office, was formally terminated November 17, the Texas Tribune reported, citing internal documents it obtained.

Vassar is the fifth whistleblower cut loose from the agency in less than a month. Three others have resigned in recent weeks.

Vassar’s termination came five days after he and other top aides in Paxton’s office filed a whistleblower suit, alleging the Republican AG retaliated against them after they contacted authorities.

The FBI is now conducting a probe into whether Paxton abused his office to assist real estate developer and donor Nate Paul, the Associated Press recently reported.

Paxton, who’s separately under indictment for securities fraud, has denied the whistleblowers’ allegations, calling them “rogue employees.”

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