Ted Cruz’s top aide testifies in Justice’s Paxton bribery investigation

Federal prosecutors in Texas had prepared bribery and obstruction of justice charges against state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) before the U.S. Justice Department took over the case in early 2023, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

Now, nearly two years later, the investigation into Paxton’s alleged bribery and abuse of power continues, including in a recent hearing with Aaron Reitz, Paxton’s former deputy for legal strategy and now chief of staff to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, another source said. Appearing before a grand jury Aug. 6 in Austin, Reitz answered prosecutors’ questions about Paxton firing whistleblower employees…