Texas – James Talarico called on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to release documents connected to the Adam Hoffman plea agreement, arguing Texans deserve answers after the former Waco attorney was released from jail after serving less than a month for charges involving the abuse of a child, The Texas Tribune reported.
Talarico, a Democratic Texas state representative running for the U.S. Senate, criticized the agreement involving Hoffman and demanded that Paxton release communications, including text messages, emails, internal memos and other documents related to the case. He accused Paxton’s office of giving Hoffman a favorable deal and called on the attorney general to provide transparency about how the agreement was reached.
“Ken Paxton let a pedophile back onto our streets,” Talarico said in a statement shared by his campaign. “Adam Hoffman, an admitted child molester, should have served 25 years to life in prison, but instead he served less than 29 days.” He also accused Paxton of providing what he described as an “Epstein-style sweetheart deal” and called for the release of the “Hoffman files.”
The controversy centers around a plea agreement involving Hoffman, a former Waco attorney who was originally charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony. The case ended in a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision, and prosecutors from Paxton’s office later reached a plea agreement with Hoffman.
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Under the agreement, Hoffman pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges, including indecent assault and displaying harmful material to a minor. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail and released after serving 29 days through jail credit policies for good behavior. He was not required to register as a sex offender in Texas under the misdemeanor convictions, KWTX reported.
Paxton’s office defended the decision, saying prosecutors faced difficulties moving forward after the child victim indicated he did not want to testify again in a second trial. Prosecutors said they believed forcing the child to return to court could further harm the victim, and the plea agreement was made while considering the circumstances of the case.
Republicans have also criticized the plea deal, creating a rare point of agreement between some lawmakers from both parties. Republican state Rep. Jeff Leach and other officials questioned why the charges were reduced and why the agreement did not require sex offender registration in Texas.
Talarico continued his criticism by arguing that the public should be able to review the records behind the agreement. He said the release of the documents would help answer questions about how the case was handled and whether any improper decisions were made.
The dispute has become a major political issue in Texas as Talarico and Paxton compete in the U.S. Senate race. Paxton, a Republican, has defended his office’s handling of the case, while Talarico has made the plea agreement a central part of his criticism against his opponent.
The case has drawn attention across Texas because of the serious allegations involved, the reduced charges, the short jail sentence and the debate over whether prosecutors made the right decision after the mistrial. The release of the requested documents remains a key demand from Talarico as he continues to challenge Paxton over the handling of the case.
