Talarico Seeks Release of Paxton's Depositions in Texas Senate Race

Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has filed a motion to unseal two depositions given by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton related to a securities fraud dispute involving an energy company, aiming to reveal details before the November general election.

The depositions, from 2019 and 2022, stem from a lawsuit involving Unity Resources, a mineral assets firm where Paxton once served as a lawyer, board member, and investor. Though Paxton was not a defendant, his testimony has drawn scrutiny for raising "substantial ethical questions," according to Talarico's campaign.

The case centered on allegations of securities fraud between North Texas businessman Charles Loper III and investors Byron Cook and Joel Hochberg. Loper accused the investors of a fraudulent scheme, while Cook and Hochberg countered by accusing Loper and Paxton of conspiring to damage their reputations as witnesses in a separate criminal case against Paxton.

"Texans have the right to know what Paxton said under oath in these proceedings and see the whole story before they go to the polls in November," lawyers for Talarico's campaign wrote in their court filing, emphasizing the public interest in transparency for the sharply contested Senate race.

According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, Paxton's 2019 deposition included potential violations of attorney-client privilege when he reportedly shared records from Unity Resources with Mitch Little, an attorney representing one of the parties in the dispute. Paxton's campaign has denied these allegations, calling the reports "blatant lies" and asserting no conflict of interest existed.

Paxton's spokesperson Madison Cercy dismissed Talarico's motion as a "desperate attempt to hide his own extremism," criticizing Talarico's legislative record on social issues and taxes instead.

Paxton has faced multiple controversies, including a 2023 impeachment on bribery charges from which he was acquitted, and a 2015 securities fraud indictment that was later resolved through restitution and ethics courses without a trial admission of guilt.

The depositions were sealed by Collin County Judge Cynthia Wheless, who delayed the case for over four years before it was settled last year. Notably, Wheless and her husband have donated to Paxton's campaigns, and her husband also ruled to seal Paxton's divorce records.

Talarico's campaign requested an expedited hearing given the election's competitiveness, asserting there's no legal basis to keep the depositions sealed under Texas law, which guarantees public access to judicial proceedings.