ICYMI: Ken Paxton Officially Denies Releasing Records On Epstein-Style Sweetheart Deal For Admitted Child Molester Adam Hoffman
KWTX Waco: “AG Ken Paxton’s office rejects Rep. James Talarico’s records request in for communications in Hoffman case”
Spectrum: “In a video that went viral on social media, Paxton did not answer repeated questions about Hoffman”
San Antonio Current: “Talarico slams Paxton for protecting pedophiles after AG’s office refuses to release case files”
AUSTIN, TX — Ken Paxton’s office has officially announced they are withholding the Hoffman Files from the public– including all the emails, records, and internal communications that led to the Epstein-style sweetheart deal for admitted child molester Adam Hoffman, who served just days and did not have to register as a sex offender under Paxton’s plea deal.
Spectrum noted how Texans are pushing for Paxton to release the Hoffman files to bring the same transparency as the push “to make the Justice Department’s files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein public.” Paxton has dodged questions for months on the Hoffman plea deal, the mother of Hoffman’s victim has slammed the plea deal saying: “The Attorney General’s office under Ken Paxton [...] bent the system to protect [Hoffman] instead of protecting my son. [...] That is corruption.”
Read for yourself:
San Antonio Current: James Talarico slams Paxton for protecting pedophiles after AG’s office refuses to release case files
July 10, 2026
By Sarah Gonzalez
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico revealed during a Thursday press conference that the Texas Attorney General’s Office denied his request for files related to a Waco man who served just 29 days in jail on charges that he sexually abused a child.
The announcement comes nearly a month after Talarico — an Austin-area state rep — called on Attorney General Ken Paxton, his Republican rival in the Senate race, to release details about what Talarico called an “Epstein-style sweetheart deal” between the AG’s office and former Waco attorney Adam Hoffman, the man charged in that case.
“We are here at corruption HQ, which is the Office of Attorney General Ken Paxton, where, behind closed doors, a sweetheart deal was given to a well-connected lawyer who abused an 8-year-old boy,” Talarico said during a downtown Austin press conference.
Hoffman was charged with repeatedly sexually abusing the youth and initially faced up to life in prison without parole. However, he pleaded guilty in April to reduced misdemeanor charges.
In a deal with Paxton’s office, Hoffman was sentenced to 60 days in the McLennan County Jail and would be required to surrender his law license. Hoffman was released early for good behavior after serving just 29 days. Additionally, he wasn’t required to register as a sex offender in Texas.
“We don’t need any more pedophile protectors in our government,” Talarico said. “I think most Texans regardless of their political affiliations are tired of seeing crimes against children covered up by powerful politicians.”
Talarico called the AG office’s denial of his request for the case files “suspicious,” noting that the office is “making excuses” which should alarm Texans, regardless of their political affiliation.
“If there’s nothing to hide, then the Attorney General should feel comfortable releasing this information,” Talarico said. “ I think it’s suspicious when we request this information and it’s denied. Especially on a case where so many Texans have legitimate concerns, legitimate questions.”
Despite the AG office’s response, Talarico said he plans to push back, adding that he will seek answers for the victim, the victim’s family and Texans across the state.
“I think raising that for Texans so that they know that the AG is hiding this information, that’s key,” the Senate hopeful said. “My hope is that we can build enough bipartisan support that can pressure the AG to do the right thing and release all information about this case, so we can get our questions answered and then we can talk about some other issues that are of importance to Texans.”
Fort Worth Star Telegram: ‘Suspicious’: Talarico says Paxton won’t release records in child sexual abuse case
July 9, 2026
By Eleanor Dearman
Democrat James Talarico blasted Republican Ken Paxton on Thursday after Paxton’s office declined to release records in a child sexual abuse case that’s become a flashpoint in their U.S. Senate campaign.
Talarico, an Austin-area state representative, has pushed for the release of what he’s dubbed the “Hoffman files” — emails, internal memos, text messages and other documents related to a plea deal in former Waco attorney Adam Hoffman’s criminal case out of McLennan County.
Hoffman was arrested in 2022 and accused of continuous sexual abuse of a child. Local district attorneys typically handle criminal cases, but Paxton’s office took over after the county’s district attorney recused himself.
A plea deal in the case resulted in Hoffman serving 29 days in jail. Talarico has criticized it as a deal cut for a well-connected lawyer
The plea bargain was also fuel for attacks ahead of May’s Republican primary runoff, where Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
Talarico in June filed a request under the state’s public information law seeking communications and records related to the case. He announced Thursday that Paxton’s office had denied the request.
He hopes for a bipartisan push for the documents’ release that’s large enough to pressure Paxton into releasing the information. “Texans deserve answers about what Talarico has described as an “Epstein-style sweetheart deal,” he told reporters at a news conference. “It’s why we’re going to keep fighting for transparency,” he said. “It’s why we’re going to keep fighting to ensure Texans get their questions answered about why a pedophile was let back into our street after just 29 days in jail.”
Hoffman was facing up to a life sentence without parole, but prosecutors offered a misdemeanor plea deal that included a 30-day jail sentence. That sentence was doubled by a judge overseeing the case, according to KWTX. Before the longer sentence was proposed, prosecutors were looking at a deal that would have resulted in one day of jail time
Talarico’s campaign has highlighted statements from the victim’s family criticizing the attorney general office’s handling of the case. The hotel where Talarico spoke Thursday is near the attorney general and Texas Bar offices in downtown Austin. Hoffman is no longer authorized to practice law in the state.
“If there’s nothing to hide, then the attorney general should feel comfortable releasing this information,” Talarico said. “But I think it’s suspicious when we request this information and it’s denied, especially in a case where so many Texans have legitimate concerns, legitimate questions.”
Spectrum: Talarico targets Paxton over plea deal in Texas child sex abuse case
July 5, 2025
By Reena Diamante
The push to make the Justice Department’s files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein public united lawmakers across party lines in Congress. Now, Talarico, a Texas state representative from Round Rock, wants the same transparency from his opponent in the handling of a controversial plea deal with a Waco attorney accused of child sexual abuse.
“Those documents need to be made public immediately so Texans can get answers about this corrupt deal,” Talarico said last month, standing outside a courthouse in Waco. “If there’s anything that all Texans can agree on, Democrats and Republicans, progressives and conservatives. It’s that no one, not even the attorney general of Texas, should be able to cover up crimes against children.”
Former attorney Adam Hoffman was accused of sexually abusing an 8-year-old boy for years. In a deal with Paxton’s office, Hoffman pleaded guilty to reduced charges after a mistrial last year. Hoffman ultimately served 30 days behind bars.
During the primary, even some fellow Republicans like state Reps. Jeff Leach and Pat Curry criticized Paxton for the deal. They held a press conference in May outside the Waco courthouse, calling for sweeping legal reforms.
“It is without question the most negligently, recklessly handled case that I’ve ever seen come out of the Attorney General’s Office,” Leach said.
Cornyn had a campaign ad attacking Paxton over it as they battled in the Republican primary earlier this year. The ad started off saying, “Why does Ken Paxton go easy on child predators?”
“This is why the really bruising Republican primary between Cornyn and Paxton was so helpful to the Democrats, because now Talarico can say, ‘Look, it’s not just me saying this, Republican Sen. John Cornyn had concerns about this,’ and that adds credibility,” Wilson said.
In a video that went viral on social media, Paxton did not answer repeated questions about Hoffman. Because Hoffman did not plead guilty to the original felony charge, he did not have to register as a sex offender in Texas.
By calling to release the Hoffman files, Talarico’s campaign is trying to turn a controversial criminal case into a broader argument about transparency and accountability as the Senate race heats up.
July 9, 2026
By Jessica Rajkumar
State Rep. James Talarico held a press conference in Austin on Wednesday after Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office rejected his campaign’s open records request for documents tied to the case of former Waco attorney Adam Hoffman, who pleaded guilty to sex crimes against a minor and served 29 days in jail.
Talarico, who is running against Paxton for U.S. Senate, is calling for the release of what he describes as the “Hoffman Files.”
Hoffman originally faced a felony charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child. That charge was reduced to two misdemeanors through a plea deal negotiated by Paxton’s office.
Under the deal, Hoffman was sentenced to 60 days in jail but served only 29.
Talarico’s campaign filed an open records request with the attorney general’s office on June 19, asking for all internal memos, emails, documents, and text messages related to the case.
“What we are requesting is every internal memo, every email, every document, every text message concerning the Hoffman case,” Talarico said.
Paxton’s office rejected the request on July 2, saying it was withholding the information.
Talarico said the denial raises questions. “If there’s nothing to hide, then the attorney general should feel comfortable releasing this information. But I think it’s suspicious when we request this information and it is denied — especially on a case where so many Texans have legitimate concerns and legitimate questions,” Talarico said.
“I think the best thing we can do for them right now is get answers — to why this sweetheart deal was given, why he didn’t have to register as a sex offender, why he is back on the street. That’s what they need right now,” Talarico said.
With the request rejected, Talarico said his campaign is now focused on building bipartisan support to pressure Paxton’s office into releasing the records.
“Our first plan of action was rejected by the attorney general. My hope is that we can build enough bipartisan support to pressure the attorney general to do the right thing and release all information about this case so we can get our questions answered,” Talarico said.
Paxton’s office did not respond to requests for comment made before and after Wednesday’s press conference.
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