Hypocrisy Watch: Week of May 21

Then

Paxton publicly condemned forum shopping as a threat to judicial integrity, framing it as an abuse of the judiciary when plaintiffs steer cases to sympathetic judges.

Texas Tribune, May 21, 2026

Now

Paxton's office filed 30-plus lawsuits in counties with tenuous connections to the underlying cases, selecting venues based on favorable judges rather than where the relevant events occurred.

Texas Tribune

Then

Paxton sent letters to more than 130 Texas cities asserting they had committed or were at risk of committing illegal tax increases under state law, implying his office had identified specific violations.

KVUE, May 18, 2026

Now

Paxton's office did not release the specific tax measures it believed each city violated. The letters were broader and more preemptive than the implied findings, covering cities that had not yet taken any action subject to the law.

KVUE

Then

Paxton's office made child sex trafficking enforcement and child safety prosecutions a signature public issue.

KXAN, May 20, 2026

Now

In a repeated child sex abuse case, Paxton's office offered a plea deal of one day in jail.

KXAN, May 20, 2026

Then

Abbott argued a rarely used constitutional provision empowered him to remove lawmakers who broke quorum.

Texas Tribune, May 19, 2026

Now

The Texas Supreme Court unanimously rejected Abbott's constitutional claim and blocked his attempt to remove Rep. Gene Wu.

The New Texan, May 19, 2026

Then

Borrell claimed that "names you wouldn't believe" had expressed interest in the Austin FC head coaching role, implying elite-level candidates were available.

Austin Chronicle, May 19, 2026

Now

Borrell hired Nico Estévez, who had recently been fired by FC Dallas. Estévez posted a 3-5-6 record before being dismissed midseason alongside Borrell himself.

Austin Chronicle