David Maxwell, one of four whistleblowers suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton following allegations that Paxton used his office to break the law, is himself subject of a complaint filed by an assistant district attorney.

Maxwell, a former director of law enforcement in Paxton's office and a former Texas Ranger with a law enforcement career that spans a half-century, is mentioned prominently in the charge of discrimination filed in February by former assistant district attorney Veronica Segovia.

In that charge and a subsequent amended charge of discrimination, copies of which were obtained by the Lone Star Standard, Segovia alleges she was discriminated against based on her gender and being Hispanic, and that she was retaliated against.

Segovia's complaint alleges wrongdoing by multiple employees in Paxton's office.

Segovia alleges in her complaint that Maxwell transferred her into an apparently known hostile work environment in 2018 and that, as she was being pressured to resign the day she filed her complaint, Maxwell offered - and then summarily withdrew - a lower-level job.

Paxton is not mentioned in Segovia's complaint.

Maxwell, who in 2017 received a special award for his part in a U.S.-Canadian effort to stop sex trafficking, is one of seven Texas Attorney General Office staffers who were fired after telling the FBI that Paxton allegedly had broken the law. 

Maxwell is one of four of those former staffers-turned-whistleblowers who filed a lawsuit in Travis County District Court alleging that Paxton used his office for his own benefit, that of a big-spending campaign donor and Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, and a woman with whom he was carrying on an affair, the Austin-American Statesman reported in a Nov. 13 news story.

The other three former staffers in the lawsuit are Paxton, Chief of Staff Blake Brickman, Deputy Attorney General Mark Penley and Deputy Attorney General Ryan Vassar

Among other accusations, the four allege Paxton inappropriately inserted himself in Paul's allegations that federal agents violated his constitutional rights when they searched his property as part of their investigation. Paxton also allegedly responded to staff members' findings that the FBI had done nothing wrong by hiring an attorney outside his office to investigate, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also notes that Paxton ordered his office to intervene in litigation between Paul and The Mitte Foundation, a nonprofit whose president is actor Roy Frank "RJ" Mitte III, who portrayed Walter "Flynn" White Jr. in the AMC series "Breaking Bad."

The case is particularly sticky for Paxton because, according to Texas open government and ethics law, employers who fire a whistleblower within 90 days of the whistleblowing are "presumed" to have committed an "adverse personnel action."

Paxton, who has denied all the allegations against him, said in October that he was about to launch an investigation into one of the seven whistleblowers, now former first assistant attorney general Jeff Mateer, but that Mateer resigned instead, according to a Southeast Texas Record news story.

At the time, Paxton also placed Maxwell and Penley on administrative leave.

The lawsuit was filed the following month.

Segovia's earlier complaint followed her "interrogation" in January, following accusations that Segovia had lied, although Segovia alleges she actually was told to lie.

"Director David Maxwell told me I couldn't leave," Segovia said about the interrogation, which she said lasted four hours.

Segovia's complaint also mentions that it was Maxwell who transferred her to the Houston office in June 2018 and that attorneys there "were difficult to work with."

"Other investigators can attest to this," the complaint said.

Segovia said in her complaint that she later lost her commission "because of low productivity" and that Maxwell "informed me that I did not travel enough."

"This was a false allegation," the complaint continued. "My overtime hours and travel expenses will show that I traveled just as much as my peers."

After she filed her complaint, Segovia said Maxwell "wanted my decision" about whether she would resign, according to her amended charge of discrimination.

"From that point forward, I was subject to intimidation," the amended charge said. "When I refused to resign from my position, director Maxwell, an experienced investigator, initially offered a non-commission position [administrative assistant] to me."

Segovia said in her amended charge that when she accepted the administrative assistant position, Maxwell "then stated it was not available."

"He then informed me that I could use my overtime hours to keep me on the payroll until the end of March," Segovia said. "I declined to resign so I was discharged from my employment with the effective date of Feb. 3, 2020."

Segovia is not the only one to allege unpleasant dealings with Maxwell. A Paxton spokesman told the Temple Daily Telegram earlier this month that Maxwell had been fired for violating agency policies. Maxwell allegedly made employment decisions without consulting human resources, actions "that have resulted in allegations of discrimination," the spokesman said in the Temple Daily Telegram news report.

The spokesman did not specifically mention Segovia's discrimination allegations.

"He also violated other policies and has taken other actions that have left no choice but to terminate his employment," the spokesman said in the news report. 

The Southeast Texas Record referred to a letter from Paul's attorney that alleged Maxwell "berated" Paul for filing a complaint and telling him Paul he wouldn't believe law enforcement executed a search on his property without proper authorization, regardless of what evidence Paul might present otherwise.

Paxton took issue with Maxwell's interview with Paul, according to the same Southeast Texas Record news story.

"It was not a good interview - it was pretty harsh," Paxton said in the news story.