The race for the U.S. Senate in Texas just took a sharp legal turn as State Representative James Talarico’s campaign moved to uncover long sealed testimonies from his opponent. On Wednesday, Talarico’s team filed a petition in Collin County asking a judge to release transcripts from two depositions given by Attorney General Ken Paxton between 2019 and 2022. These documents stem from a complicated securities fraud battle involving an energy firm called Unity Resources and various financial advisers, marking one of the few times Paxton has been compelled to provide sworn testimony regarding his personal and professional conduct.

The underlying dispute began years ago when North Texas businessman Charles Loper III accused investors of defrauding him through a Unity investment fund. The situation quickly became entangled with Paxton’s own history, as other parties claimed he conspired to ruin their reputations to prevent them from testifying in a separate criminal securities fraud case against him. While federal prosecutors eventually dropped those criminal charges in 2024 following a deal involving restitution and ethics training, the civil depositions remain locked away despite the original case settling back in 2023.

Talarico’s lawyers argue that transparency is essential for voters heading to the polls this November, claiming that previous reports suggest the testimony raises significant ethical red flags. Specifically, they point to Wall Street Journal reporting indicating that Paxton may have violated attorney client privilege by sharing confidential records with a lawyer who was representing another party in the suit. The campaign contends that such revelations directly impact Paxton’s fitness for office and meet the legal threshold for public disclosure due to their potential effect on the administration of government.

Representatives for Ken Paxton have pushed back firmly against these efforts, dismissing prior media reports on the matter as blatant lies and violations of court orders. Similarly, Mitch Little, the lawyer involved in the controversy and current state lawmaker, has maintained there was never a conflict of interest nor any breach of privileged information. As Judge Cynthia Wheless considers the request, the outcome could potentially inject new volatility into an already competitive senate race by revealing exactly what the Attorney General said under oath during some of his most contentious legal battles.