Overview
- On Thursday, June 18, James Talarico held a news conference in Waco and formally demanded that Attorney General Ken Paxton turn over all texts, emails and internal memos tied to the Adam Hoffman plea.
- Hoffman pleaded guilty on April 16 to two misdemeanor counts, surrendered his law license, served roughly 30 days in jail and was not required to register as a sex offender in Texas after the AG’s office reduced felony child‑sex charges.
- Assistant attorneys general say the plea was offered because the child victim declined to testify again and that prosecutors acted to avoid retraumatizing the boy and protect his stated wishes.
- Hoffman’s defense lawyer denied any contact with Paxton and rejected claims his prior work for Paxton ally Nate Paul affected the deal, but critics and the victim’s mother say the overlap raises questions about favoritism.
- The dispute has become a major issue in the tight Senate race, media outlets have requested the AG’s records, and no internal communications have been publicly released so far, which could prompt further public records fights and campaign fallout.