A district court judge has ruled in favor of four whistleblowers who said that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton retaliated against them for reporting bribery allegations, awarding his employees more than $6 million combined in damages.

The federal criminal investigation was the most serious legal threat the once-embattled Republican faced. With the probe now over, Paxton is gearing up to likely challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in 2026.