AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Whistleblowers suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for wrongful termination will move forward with their lawsuit in a Travis County court, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday, lifting a procedural pause and extending Paxton’s legal troubles past his impeachment trial.

The ruling is a blow to Paxton, whose office came to a $3.3 million settlement agreement with four top officials who claimed Paxton fired them in retaliation for reporting him to the FBI on allegations of bribery and abuse of office in 2020.

The Supreme Court’s decision comes just four days after the whistleblowers asked them to send their lawsuit back to Travis County.

Lead plaintiff Blake Brickman told Nexstar the trial will allow them to compel Paxton to testify, unlike in the Senate’s impeachment trial in which Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick prevented them from calling Paxton to the stand.

“He will not answer questions. He refused to testify in his trial, and that’s why we’re going to put him under oath and depose him in this case,” Brickman said.

Nexstar asked Brickman what they hope to ask Paxton if he were to testify.

“Why did you do this? Why did you turn over your entire office over to an Austin businessman who is under federal indictment? Why were you so obsessed with anything related to Nate Paul at the expense of all the important work we were doing?” he responded.

Nexstar has requested comment from the Office of Attorney General and will update this coverage if one is provided.

“My fight will continue as long as it takes to expose this, and I will not ever give up,” Brickman said. “Because I can not stand by and allow corruption to happen in this state.”