The Texas Department of Public Safety on Thursday arrested a person who allegedly started a dumpster fire outside of the offices of the state鈥檚 attorney general.
The fire was apparently sparked by a lit cigarette and was unintentionally set, according to from Attorney General Ken Paxton. But as innocuous as it might have been, the blaze still added yet another twist to the days-long saga that鈥檚 gripped the state Capitol amid epic infighting between the Texas House and Paxton, the state鈥檚 top lawyer.
The fire began Wednesday evening, hours after the Texas House General Investigating Committee and detailed its investigation into what led up to a $3.3 million settlement between Paxton and his former employees-turned-whistleblowers. The former employees said they were fired in 2020 after reporting an array of alleged misdeeds by the Republican attorney general to officials.
Sound complicated? Wait, there鈥檚 more.
Let鈥檚 back up to Tuesday, when Paxton surprised lawmakers and reporters 鈥� along with almost everyone following the state鈥檚 current 140-day legislative session 鈥� by . Paxton accused Speaker Phelan, who is also a Republican, of being drunk at the House dais during a recent floor session.
In response, Phelan's communications director Cait Wittman suggested the attorney general made his comments after learning his office was under investigation.
鈥淧axton鈥檚 statement today amounts to little more than a last-ditch effort to save face," she said in a statement Tuesday.
OK, back to the fire.
As part of its investigation, the House committee instructed Paxton鈥檚 office to preserve certain documents. So, as expected, social media lit up Wednesday night after videos of the fire surfaced online. Scott Braddock, a veteran reporter and editor of the Quorum Report, a video of the fire that showed 鈥渕aybe some documents鈥� ablaze.
The fire was quickly extinguished, and Paxton鈥檚 office out a plea for information related to the 鈥渁rson鈥� that occurred outside his offices.
Thursday morning, though, he clarified the fire was unintentional.
鈥淭he 42-year-old female was charged with criminal mischief equal to or greater than $25,000 but less than $30,000,鈥� Paxton鈥檚 office said in a statement . 鈥淒PS questioned the suspect over possible political motivations and have preliminarily determined the fire was unintentional.鈥�
Paxton ended the updated statement by admonishing the press 鈥� which is nothing new for the AG 鈥� and others for fueling speculation about what caused the fire or who was responsible.
鈥淚 have no doubt that those with the responsibility for informing the public of the truth will issue retractions and apologize for spreading disinformation about this incident,鈥� the statement reads.
