Overview
- On Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, James Talarico’s campaign filed a petition in Collin County asking a judge to unseal depositions Paxton gave in 2019 and 2022 tied to a Unity Resources civil dispute.
- The depositions stem from a lawsuit involving businessman Charles Loper III and investors Byron Cook and Joel Hochberg and concern Paxton’s prior role as a Unity lawyer and board member; the underlying civil case settled in 2023 and Paxton was not a defendant.
- The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that one deposition suggested possible attorney-client privilege breaches and that Paxton said he 'could not recall' answers many times, but Paxton’s campaign and others have disputed those accounts.
- Talarico’s lawyers argue under Texas law that discovery that could affect the conduct of public office should be public and say the reported deposition content raises substantial ethical questions about Paxton.
- The move comes as the Senate race is narrowly competitive and follows Paxton’s long legal history including a 2015 indictment that was resolved in 2024 with restitution and ethics training and a 2023 impeachment and acquittal, meaning the unsealed records could influence voter views before November.