State Rep. Bryan Slaton hires lawyer amid possible investigation in Texas House

State Rep. Bryan Slaton, who was notably absent from the Capitol last Thursday before returning this week, has retained a criminal defense lawyer amid a possible investigation by a Texas House committee over allegations of an "inappropriate relationship" with an intern.

Patrick Short, a Rockwall-based attorney near Dallas, issued a statement Monday saying that Slaton, R-Royse City, had retained him as legal counsel after a possible complaint made against the lawmaker to the Texas House Committee on General Investigating.

The Texas Tribune on Monday was the first to report that Slaton had hired Short's firm. The Tribune later reported that an internal complaint filed against Slaton alleges that he was engaging in a potentially "inappropriate relationship" with an intern.

The complaint came after an incident in which Slaton is accused of messaging the staffer after 10 p.m. March 31 to invite her to his Austin apartment, the Tribune reported.

"We are aware of outrageous claims circulating online by second-tier media that make false claims against Representative Slaton,” Short said before the allegations surfaced publicly Monday. "As a result, he has been advised to forward all inquiries in this matter —including any that may relate to a possible complaint — to his legal counsel."

The statement did not elaborate on the nature of the complaint, which has been a source of speculation since Thursday when Slaton was absent from the House while representatives spent all day passing the chamber's version of the state's budget for fiscal years 2024-25. The day was to be especially big for Slaton, who had prepared 27 budget amendments.

The House Journal, the chamber’s attendance tracker, listed Slaton's absence as excused under the designation “business in the district.”

No one answered at Slaton’s Capitol office door Thursday, and it was papered over. Slaton’s chief of staff did not respond to an American-Statesman request for comment.

Slaton has branded himself as a far-right conservative with anti-LGBTQ legislation and a long-shot bill that would let voters decide whether Texas should secede from the U.S. In 2021, during his first session, Slaton introduced a satirical bill to rename a strip of Interstate 35 in downtown Austin the Steve Adler Public Restroom Highway, mocking Austin's mayor at the time for the city's lax rules against public camping.

Slaton, a former youth and family minister, is married, and he and his wife have a young child.

The five-member House investigating committee handling the complaint against Slaton is chaired by Rep. Andrew Murr, who issued a statement last week refusing to confirm or deny whether there was an investigation of the lawmaker.

State law says the committee may investigate a matter related to “the misconduct, malfeasance, misfeasance, abuse of office, or incompetency of an individual or officer.” It also may investigate complaints related to workplace conduct.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Legislature: Bryan Slaton hires lawyer amid possible House probe