Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) dismissed CNBC co-host Becky Quick’s questions about Senate candidate Ken Paxton’s record by invoking the findings of former President Joe Biden’s Justice Department.

Paxton, the incumbent Texas attorney general, was endorsed by President Donald Trump just days before his victory last week in the GOP primary runoff against Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), a race that Cruz himself had stayed out of.

After Paxton’s win, Cruz praised him as a “fearless conservative” and offered his “full support.”

Appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Tuesday, the senator was grilled on Paxton’s past, specifically, Quick drew attention to bribery and corruption charges leveled against him in 2020 in a scandal that led to his impeachment, of which he was later acquitted.

“In 2020, eight top aides from his office reported him to the FBI, alleging he abused his power to help an Austin real estate investor. After the aides were fired or resigned, they sued Paxton for wrongful termination under the Texas Whistleblower Act,” she said.

She continued: “Those allegations ultimately led the Texas House to impeach him in 2023 on charges of bribery and obstruction, although he was acquitted by the Texas Senate. As a resolution, the state had to pay $6.6 million to the whistleblowers.”

Replying, Cruz questioned the legitimacy of the charges entirely, pointing to the Biden DOJ for proof.

“So, look, in the impeachment, he was acquitted. And I would point out, if you want to know how valid those charges were, just ask yourself one question: Was the Biden Department of Justice a lapdog for Republicans?” he asked.

“I don’t think they were,” he followed. “It was the Biden DOJ who investigated Paxton and chose not to bring charges. I think that speaks a lot of volumes.”

Federal investigators spent years examining allegations that Paxton abused his office, which became one of the most significant corruption investigations involving a prominent Republican official.

The Associated Press reported in April 2025, however, that the DOJ under Biden quietly decided in the final weeks of the administration not to bring charges against Paxton, effectively ending the federal investigation.

The case had previously been taken away from federal prosecutors in Texas and placed under the department’s Public Integrity Section. AP reported that the decision was recommended by a senior DOJ official who questioned whether prosecutors could secure a conviction.

Watch above via CNBC.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!