Overview
- Prosecutors in the Texas attorney general’s office offered Adam Hoffman a March plea that cut felony counts to misdemeanors, led to an April 16 guilty plea, and produced a jail sentence that a judge extended to 60 days but from which Hoffman was released after 29 days for good behavior.
- Reporting by The Texas Tribune, Texas Newsroom and KWBU uncovered trial transcripts showing the case produced a mistrial when the victim refused to testify again, a fact prosecutors say left them little choice but to offer a plea or subpoena the child back to court.
- Assistant Attorneys General Brenda Cantu and Dorian Cotlar wrote on May 15 that the plea was made for the child’s best interest because the victim preferred to move on with his life.
- On Thursday James Talarico publicly demanded all internal AG communications — the so-called 'Hoffman files' — and likened the deal to an 'Epstein-style' bargain as he makes transparency a central attack in the Senate race.
- The AG’s office and Hoffman’s lawyer deny Paxton had any role in the negotiation, but the case has intensified scrutiny of Paxton’s ethics and could affect fundraising, record requests, and calls for legal changes as the general election approaches.