James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, has filed a court request to unseal depositions related to Ken Paxton, his Republican opponent in the race. The depositions stem from a civil fraud case involving Unity Resources, a mineral assets company. Paxton was connected to the company but was not named as a defendant, and the case was subsequently settled.
Talarico’s campaign strategy centers on bringing Paxton’s past legal challenges into public focus. Beyond the deposition effort, the campaign has circulated video footage of Paxton taking an expensive pen from a courthouse security checkpoint and has referenced his impeachment by the Texas House, subsequent acquittal in the Senate, and prior criminal charges related to securities fraud that concluded with a settlement involving restitution payments without an admission of guilt.
In legal filings submitted to the court, Talarico’s campaign argued that the depositions should be made public, citing “no basis under Texas law or procedure to withhold them from the public” and contending that secrecy violates Texas’s constitutional protections for open judicial proceedings. The Wall Street Journal previously reported details from one deposition, indicating that Paxton may have violated attorney-client privilege—a claim disputed by those involved—and noting that Paxton stated he could not recall answers to approximately 90 questions during the deposition.
Paxton has consistently denied allegations against him and characterizes them as politically motivated attacks, a defense strategy he shares with President Donald Trump. Supporters of Paxton point out that similar attacks on his record failed to prevent his victory over incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn in this year’s Republican primary. A spokesperson for Paxton’s campaign did not provide a response to requests for comment regarding the deposition release effort.
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