Pete Ricketts PAC funded Ken Paxton after plea deal sent convicted child abuser to Nebraska

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) donated $5,000 from his leadership PAC to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s campaign for U.S. Senate — just weeks after Paxton’s office brokered a controversial plea deal that allowed a convicted child abuser to serve under a month in jail before relocating to Nebraska.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) records filed on July 15 show that Ricketts’ political action committee, American Excellence PAC, sent a $5,000 contribution to “Ken Paxton for Senate” on June 17. Ricketts’ contribution arrived shortly after the resolution of a high-profile Texas criminal case involving Adam Hoffman, 49, a former attorney from Waco, Texas.

American Excellence PAC is a “Leadership PAC” affiliated with Ricketts. Federal office holders establish leadership PACs to raise money for other candidates in their party.

The Texas plea deal

Hoffman was originally charged with continuous sexual abuse of a young child, a first-degree felony carrying a potential sentence of life in prison without parole. During a June 2025 trial, a 13-year-old victim testified that Hoffman had repeatedly sexually abused him over a three-year period, beginning when the boy was in third grade. The trial ended in a mistrial after the jury deadlocked 7–5.

Rather than retrying the felony case, Paxton’s office took control of the prosecution and offered Hoffman a plea bargain. According to reports from The Texas Tribune, Paxton’s office initially offered a deal that would have required Hoffman to serve just one day in jail.

Under the final plea agreement finalized on April 16, Paxton’s office reduced the charges to two Class A misdemeanors: indecent assault and displaying harmful materials to a minor. Hoffman pleaded guilty, had his law license suspended for five years and was sentenced to 60 days in jail. He was released from the McLennan County Jail on May 25 after serving 29 days, and he was not required to register as a sex offender in Texas.

Hoffman’s sentence sparked controversy

The outcome triggered public backlash and sharp criticism from Texas lawmakers. State Rep. Jeff Leach (R-McKinney) labeled the plea deal “incomprehensible.” Paxton’s office defended the decision to not pursue a second trial, arguing they would not have secured a conviction without the victim’s testimony. Paxton’s office said the victim made it clear he did not want to voluntarily testify again due to emotional trauma. Leach called the response “dishonest and horrifying.“

Enforcement in Nebraska

Following his release, Hoffman relocated to Papillion, Neb., in Sarpy County. While the reduced misdemeanor conviction in Texas did not require Hoffman to register as a sex offender, local law enforcement in Nebraska stepped in. On June 5, Sgt. Adam Arko of the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office personally served Hoffman with paperwork requiring him to register as a sex offender in Nebraska.

“Under Nebraska law, if a sex offender in another state is convicted of a crime similar to one on the Nebraska law books, they are required to register,” Arko told KWTX.

Nebraska law requires Hoffman to register as a sex offender for 15 years. He would be able to ask for his removal from the state’s sex offender registry after 10 years.

Campaign cash

Eleven days after Sarpy County officials forced Hoffman onto the state sex offender registry, Ricketts’ PAC cut the $5,000 check to Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign. Neither Sen. Ricketts’ office nor Ken Paxton’s campaign immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the contribution.

Paxton is the Republican nominee in Texas’ U.S. Senate race this year. Despite a long history of legal troubles, Paxton earned President Donald Trump’s endorsement earlier this year, which helped fuel his primary victory over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). Paxton’s scandal history dates back to 2015, including an impeachment, a $3.3 million whistleblower retaliation lawsuit and securities fraud charges.

Paxton will face Democratic nominee and current Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) in the general election. Talarico has repeatedly used the Hoffman plea deal to attack Paxton during the race, sparking backlash from the victim’s family. Recent polls suggest a neck-and-neck race between the candidates, as Talarico looks to become the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas since 1994.

Ricketts served two terms as Nebraska’s governor from 2015-23. In January 2023, Gov. Jim Pillen (R) appointed Ricketts to the U.S. Senate to replace Sen. Ben Sasse (R). Ricketts won a 2024 special election to complete Sasse’s term, and is running for a full six-year term in 2026. He will face independent candidate Dan Osborn, who previously ran an unsuccessful but notable populist campaign in 2024 that drew praise from progressive U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).