Texas Lawmaker Slaton Hires Defense Attorney Amid Reports of Possible Ethics Complaint

Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, has hired an attorney following unconfirmed rumors at the Capitol and his absence from a key vote on the state's spending plan last week.

In a statement released Monday, criminal defense attorney Patrick Short said he had been retained by the Republican lawmaker "in a matter relating to a possible complaint filed against him with the Texas House Ethics Committee." Short added that his client was the target of "outrageous allegations circulating online by second-tier media that make false claims against Representative Slaton."

The Texas Tribune reported that an employee of the Texas Legislature filed a complaint accusing Slaton of an inappropriate relationship with an intern. The outlet said it obtained the complaint on Monday.

According to the Tribune's account of the document, Slaton allegedly phoned the intern after 10 p.m. on March 31 and invited her to his condo in Austin. An unidentified source also told the publication that the intern was under 21 and that Slaton drank alcohol with her.

Slaton did not cast a vote Thursday on the budget, even though he had filed nearly 30 amendments to the state's spending plan.

Short did not immediately respond to questions from The Texas Newsroom.

Any such allegations would fall to the House General Investigating Committee, chaired by Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction. Murr's office declined Monday to comment on whether an investigation into Slaton was possible. It pointed instead to a statement Murr posted on Facebook last week.

"To preserve the confidential nature of its proceedings, the General Investigating Committee does not comment on any investigations it undertakes, including statements confirming or denying the existence of any ongoing investigation," Murr wrote.

Slaton is counted among the most conservative members of the House. He has filed legislation targeting members of the LGBTQ community, and in 2021 he introduced a bill that would have allowed women to receive the death penalty if they had an abortion.

The story is developing.