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April 20, 2026, 11:16 a.m. MT
Incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s campaign is lashing out at his Texas runoff opponent over a “sweetheart deal” for a sex offender.
Adam Hoffman, a lawyer in Waco, Texas, was facing a life sentence for the sexual abuse of a child that lasted three years. Attorney General Ken Paxton, however, reduced the charges last week so that Hoffman will serve only 30 days in jail and will not be required to register as a sex offender, according to reporting from KWTX in Waco.
The initial plea offered by Paxton’s office would not have required Hoffman to serve additional jail time, but it was rejected by the judge.
“Crooked Ken Paxton took a horrific first degree felony case and reduced it down to two class A misdemeanors, initially suggesting it would accept no additional jail time,” said Cornyn campaign senior advisor Matt Mackowiak in a news release. “A child was sexually abused for three years, and Ken Paxton thinks that should be a misdemeanor with no jail time and no requirement to register as a sex offender.”
“This is one of the most outrageous examples of leniency towards a violent criminal in modern Texas history,” he added. “The only person (in) Texas that thinks this sentence is appropriate is Ken Paxton.”
As has been the case throughout the U.S. Senate race in Texas, Paxton did not respond to a request for comment.
Paxton is set to face Cornyn in the May 26 Republican primary runoff for a U.S. Senate seat. Despite Cornyn’s continuous efforts to highlight Paxton’s failures, both professionally and personally, Paxton continues to swing polls in his favor.
The winner of the Republican runoff will face Democrat state Rep. James Talarico in the November 3 General Election.
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
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