Full Breakdown
Talarico Moves to Unseal Ken Paxton Depositions Ahead of Texas Senate Race
8/27/2026, 1:12:05 AM
Core Event: Motion to Unseal Years-Old Depositions
Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico filed a petition in Collin County to make public two sworn depositions given by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in 2019 and 2022. The depositions, part of a civil securities-fraud dispute involving Unity Resources, were sealed by Judge Cynthia Wheless for more than four years.
Background & Context: Prior Legal Entanglements Involving Paxton
- Unity Resources: Paxton was the company’s lawyer, board member and investor.
- 2016 lawsuit: Businessman Charles Loper III sued Unity and investors Byron Cook and Joel Hochberg, alleging fraud.
- Criminal case: Federal prosecutors indicted Paxton in 2015; the charges were dropped in 2024 after a restitution agreement.
- Impeachment: Paxton was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 on bribery allegations but was acquitted by the Senate.
Key Figures & Groups
- James Talarico – Democratic state representative and 2026 Senate nominee.
- Ken Paxton – Republican Attorney General, subject of the depositions.
- Mitch Little – Former Unity attorney, later a Republican lawmaker; represented Loper in the civil suit and Paxton in his impeachment trial.
- Charles Loper III, Byron Cook, Joel Hochberg – Parties to the Unity dispute.
Timeline
- 2015 – Federal indictment of Paxton.
- 2016 – Loper files lawsuit against Unity Resources.
- 2019 – First six-hour deposition of Paxton.
- 2022 – Second deposition of Paxton.
- 2023 – Settlement of the civil case; Judge Wheless seals the depositions.
- 2024 – Federal charges dropped.
- Late August 2026 – Talarico’s campaign submits the unsealing motion.
Data & Statistics
- Two depositions, each roughly six hours long, recorded in 2019 and 2022.
- The civil case settled in 2023.
Official Statements & Responses
- Nick Maddux, Paxton campaign spokesperson, called Wall Street Journal reporting on the depositions “blatant lies.”
- Mitch Little told the Wall Street Journal the records Paxton shared were not privileged and that no conflict of interest existed.
Criticism & Opposition
The Paxton campaign argues the unsealing request is a partisan maneuver aimed at influencing voters.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The Wall Street Journal reported Paxton may have violated attorney-client privilege by providing Unity records to his own lawyer.
- No independent court ruling on the privilege issue has been disclosed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “James Talarico is once again proving how desperate he is to try and hide his radical record from Texans,” — Madison Cercy, Paxton campaign spokeswoman
What’s Next
The Collin County district court will consider the motion before the November 2026 general election. If granted, the transcripts will become public, potentially affecting voter perceptions in the Senate race.
