A Texas Republican state lawmaker has publicly broken with President Donald Trump over his endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the race for U.S.Senate.State Rep.

Jeff Leach, who has previously been endorsed by Trump, urged voters to reconsider their support for Paxton following controversy surrounding a plea agreement handled by Paxton’s office in a child sexual abuse case.

According to Leach and reporting cited in the article, former attorney Adam Hoffman was originally facing a potential life sentence without parole for sexually abusing a young boy over a period of several years.

After the local district attorney recused himself, Paxton’s office took over the prosecution and allegedly offered Hoffman a plea deal that reduced his charges to misdemeanors and resulted in a very short jail sentence.

Leach stated that Hoffman, who was ultimately sentenced to 60 days in jail, would soon be released after serving only a few weeks, would not be required to register as a sex offender, and could eventually return to practicing law.

Leach strongly criticized the outcome, calling Hoffman a continuing threat to children and describing the agreement as a severe injustice to the victim.He directly tied responsibility for the deal to Paxton and urged voters to “vote accordingly.

” The controversy comes amid Trump’s recent endorsement of Paxton over incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn, a move reportedly influenced by internal MAGA political dynamics.

The dispute highlights growing tensions within Texas Republican politics over criminal justice decisions and high-profile endorsements ahead of the Senate race.