Ken Paxton’s office offered a child molester ONE day in jail and NO sex offender registration. Donald Trump endorsed Paxton yesterday.

Paxton let a child abuser have ONE day in jail, skip the sex offender registry and allowed him to get his law license back by 2031.

Adam Hoffman, a 49-year-old Waco attorney, was facing life without parole for the continuous sexual abuse of a young boy. Ken Paxton’s office took the case, sat on it for nearly three years and then offered him a deal to plead guilty to two misdemeanors and serve one day in jail.

That deal was signed off on by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, the man Donald Trump endorsed and called a “true MAGA Warrior”.

What Hoffman was charged with

Adam Hoffman was originally indicted on first-degree felony continuous sexual abuse of a young child. In Texas, that charge carries a minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum of life without parole

Hoffman’s first trial ended in June 2025 with a hung jury, seven to five in favor of guilty. The judge declared a mistrial and the case was set for retrial.

The local district attorney in McLennan County had already recused himself, because Hoffman was a fellow Waco lawyer and a member of the same legal community. The case had been handed off to the Texas Attorney General’s office in 2023. By the time of the retrial, Paxton’s office had been running it for two and a half years.

The deal Paxton’s office actually offered

Instead of retrying the case, the Texas Attorney General’s office offered Hoffman a plea deal.

Hoffman would plead guilty to two Class A misdemeanors: indecent assault and displaying harmful material to a minor. He would serve a total of ONE DAY in jail. He would NOT be required to register as a sex offender. His Texas law license would be suspended, but not for life. After 5 years he could reapply for it.

One day in jail, no sex offender registry AND be eligible to practice law again by 2031.

That is the deal the Ken Paxton’s office offered a man who admitted in court to molesting a child.

The judge said no

Hoffman pleaded guilty to the misdemeanors on April 16. The visiting judge assigned to sentencing, Roy Sparkman, a former Republican judge, took one look at the deal Paxton’s office had brought him and said he was troubled by it.

Sparkman increased the sentence. From the one day Paxton’s office assigned, to thirty days. It was then doubled at sentencing on May 14 to 60 days in the McLennan County Jail.

Sixty days for a man originally charged with the kind of crime that ends in life without parole. Ken Paxton’s deal was a total disgrace but Sparkman’s sentence was abysmal also.

Paxton is ignoring his own party

State Representative Jeff Leach, Republican of McKinney, is the chair of the Texas House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence. He is also one of the lead House managers who prosecuted Ken Paxton’s impeachment in 2023.

Leach held a press conference at the McLennan County Courthouse last week calling the Hoffman plea deal “a betrayal of victims and a betrayal of the community.” He formally invited Ken Paxton to appear before the House Judiciary committee to explain how the AG’s office arrived at a one-day jail sentence for the sexual abuse of a young boy.

Paxton has not responded.

This is the chair of the House judiciary committee, from his own party, asking him to come explain how his office let a child sex abuse case end in a misdemeanor plea with no sex offender registry. Paxton is running for U.S. Senate. He has time for Truth Social, Tucker Carlson interviews, and a press conference yesterday afternoon thanking Trump for the endorsement BUT he hasn’t had time to answer the Republican chairman of the Texas House Judiciary committee.

State Rep. Pat Curry, R-Waco, addresses the recent plea agreement in the Adam Hoffman case during a press event at the McLennan County Courthouse on Friday, May 15, 2026. From left: State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Allen, Sheri Hykel, Melissa Dieterich, and Curry. (Justin Hamel/The Waco Bridge/CatchLight Local/Report for America)

This is what Donald Trump endorsed yesterday

When Trump posted yesterday morning that Ken Paxton is a “true MAGA Warrior” who has “always delivered for Texas,” this is what he was endorsing. Not just Ken Paxton’s impeachment, or the affair, or just the donor-paid mistress, or the wife divorcing him on “biblical grounds”.

This. A one-day plea deal for a child molester. This is what “MAGA Warrior” means. This is what “delivered for Texas” looks like.

What you do this week: VOTE

Today through Friday, early voting is open across the state. Pull up your sample ballot now at votetexas.gov or your county elections site. Look at every race on it. Then look those candidates up. Two minutes per race. Pick the Democrats whose actual record on actual policy matches what you care about.

Early voting hours

Most Texas counties open early voting locations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. Some counties stay open later or run weekend hours, so check your specific location. The early voting window for the May 26 runoff is Monday May 18 through Friday May 22. On election day, Tuesday May 26, every polling place in the state is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

How to find your polling place

Go to votetexas.gov and click “Where to Vote.” Enter your county. You will get a list of every early voting location near you. During this week, you can vote at any early voting location in your county. You don’t have to go to a specific neighborhood site. On election day, May 26, the rules change by county. Your county elections website will tell you which one you’re in. If you can’t find it, vote early this week and skip the question entirely.

What you need to bring

You need one of seven accepted forms of photo ID: a Texas driver license, a Texas Election Identification Certificate, a Texas personal ID card, a Texas handgun license, a U.S. military ID with photo, a U.S. citizenship certificate with photo, or a U.S. passport. If you do not have any of these, you can fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls and bring a supporting document like a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or your voter registration certificate. The name on your ID must match the name on your voter registration. If you got married, divorced, or had a legal name change, bring documentation. Texas will turn you away over a typo.

Voting reminder, because this is Day 3

Early voting: TODAY, Wednesday May 20 through Friday May 22 (today through Friday)

Primary runoff election day: Tuesday May 26

General election: Tuesday November 3, 2026

Voter registration deadline for November: Monday October 5, 2026

Check your registration, find your nearest early voting location, and pull your sample ballot at votetexas.gov.

See y’all tomorrow.