Five public figures, five gaps between the statement and the record — logged this week across Austin, the Capitol, and the Attorney General's office.
Ken PaxtonAttorney General
the indicted-then-acquitted attorney general who keeps suing Austin and counting
Then
Publicly condemned forum shopping as a threat to judicial integrity, framing it as an abuse of the judiciary when used by plaintiffs to steer cases toward sympathetic judges.
Texas Tribune, May 21, 2026
Now
Paxton's office filed more than 30 lawsuits in counties with tenuous connections to the underlying cases, selecting venues based on favorable judicial climates rather than where the relevant events occurred.
Texas Tribune, May 2026
Ken PaxtonAttorney General
the indicted-then-acquitted attorney general who keeps suing Austin and counting
Then
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 had violated. The letters were broader and more preemptive than the implied findings, covering cities that had not yet taken any action to contest.
KVUE, May 2026
Greg AbbottGovernor
the three-term governor who has spent more on border enforcement than the federal government has reimbursed
Then
Argued that 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 claim and blocked his attempt to remove Rep. Gene Wu.
The New Texan staff, May 19, 2026
Nico EstévezFormer Head Coach
Then
"I think the evaluation has to be at the end of the season, right? Give time to see if I can get the team in the playoffs."
Austin Chronicle, May 21, 2026
Now
Estévez was fired days later, mid-season, with a 3-5-6 record. The end-of-season evaluation he requested did not take place.
Austin Chronicle, May 21, 2026
Greg CasarU.S. Representative
Then
Called a court order for the release of detained Austin ISD student Johan Cabrera "a good day for Austin."
KVUE, May 21, 2026
Now
Cabrera remained detained at the Karnes County facility as of the subsequent report's publication, with his lawyers still petitioning for his release.
Austin Current, 2026