Justice Department reporters Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker faced a major challenge: unraveling the mystery of what happened to the years-long federal criminal investigation into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The case centered on allegations that Paxton abused his office to benefit a political donor, and the answers were pressing, especially with Paxton now a U.S. Senate candidate and having recently appeared at a Justice Department event alongside Donald Trump.
A tip that the Biden administration had quietly shut down the case set their reporting in motion—inside the notoriously secretive public integrity section of the Justice Department.
What followed was a masterclass in persistence: weeks of source work, calls, and follow-ups. Most contacts refused to speak, even off the record. But Richer and Tucker kept pushing. Their determination paid off when they confirmed that the probe had been closed in the final weeks of the Biden administration—without charges, without a public announcement, and without even notifying Paxton’s lawyer.
The exclusive led statewide headlines, drove national coverage, and forced public scrutiny of a decision the Justice Department had opted to keep hidden.
Judges called it an “impressive scoop, clearly difficult to get,” and praised AP for setting “the tone and standard for others.”
For their unrelenting determination, resourcefulness, and refusal to back down, Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker are this week’s Best of AP — First Winner.
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