Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a $45 million settlement with Gilead Sciences to resolve claims the company engaged in an illegal kickback scheme that improperly influenced prescriptions paid by Texas Medicaid.
Where
Statewide
When
Oct. 22, 2026
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
The sources don't state an effect on taxes. They do state these figures.
Settlement payment$45 million12Who pays or receives it: Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Who's involved
Ken PaxtonTexas Attorney General
Gilead Sciences, Inc.Pharmaceutical company defendant
The facts
Paxton sued Gilead in October 2023 for unlawful marketing practices designed to incentivize providers to prescribe Gilead drugs.2
Gilead offered illegal incentives including free nurses and reimbursement support services to medical providers.2
Many prescriptions influenced by Gilead's incentives were covered by Medicaid, resulting in tainted claims.2
The settlement resolves claims the company violated the Texas Health Care Program Fraud Prevention Act.2
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Ken Paxton Doctors ought to prescribe medication in the patient's best interest; illegal kickbacks jeopardize healthcare system integrity.2
Ken Paxton This settlement warns Big Pharma that violating patient health or abusing taxpayer dollars will result in prosecution.2
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures $45 Million Settlement With Gilead to Protect Medicaid Program
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
Texas A&M University-San Antonio opened a new $55 million Public Health and Education Building on Wednesday. The 35,000-square-foot facility houses academic programs and will support medical education and training through partnership with Texas A&M's College of Medicine and University Health.
$$55 million for building construction and development
Texas A&M University-San Antonio, opened the building; Glenn Hegar, Texas A&M University System Chancellor; Salvador Hector Ochoa, TAMUSA President and 3 more
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with Lululemon USA Inc. regarding concerns about potentially harmful "forever chemicals" in activewear. The settlement requires the company to enforce chemical safety standards across its supply chain through independent lab testing and third-party certifications for three years.
Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General; Lululemon USA Inc., Activewear company subject to settlement
Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced an executive order barring businesses that require customers to show COVID-19 vaccination or post-transmission recovery documentation from receiving contracts or grants from the Comptroller's office. The order requires contractors and grantees to certify compliance with Texas Health and Safety Code Section 161.0085.
Don Huffines, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Texas Comptroller Don Huffines signed four orders he called executive orders. Three weeks prior, he issued the first, targeting virtual marketplace seller fees. He then issued three more orders addressing medical records taxes, Flock camera funding, and state diversity programs. The orders direct comptroller staff to begin changing agency rules.
$Huffines said the virtual marketplace order puts tens of millions of dollars annually back in the pocket of Texas families and small businesses [1,2,3].
Don Huffines, Texas Comptroller; Brandon Rottinghaus, University of Houston political science professor
Attorney General Ken Paxton's office launched a statewide inquiry into data center water consumption. Official notices were sent to 156 data center developments across 32 Texas counties after state officials noted noncompliance with mandatory environmental reporting requirements and failure to complete the Texas Water Development Board's water use survey.
Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General; Texas Attorney General's Office, Enforcement agency launching inquiry; Texas Water Development Board, Agency whose water use survey was not completed by data centers
Gov. Greg Abbott stated the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission would not vote on a potential sale of Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX anytime soon. Texas Monthly had reported the commission was planning to discuss the 1,300-acre park sale at its Nov. 5 meeting, but the Parks and Wildlife Department later said the property was not on that agenda.
$$26 million for proposed sale price of Boca Chica State Park
Greg Abbott, Governor; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic gubernatorial candidate; Stephanie Garcia, Texas Parks and Wildlife spokesperson and 1 more
Sul Ross State University established a permanent, endowed fellowship for graduate student groundwater research at the Meadows Research Institute with $500,000 in support from Google.org. The first fellow will be selected in 2027.
$$500,000 for endowed fellowship support
Sul Ross State University, established endowed fellowship; Google.org, provided $500,000 in support; Dr. Carlos Hernandez, president of Sul Ross State University and 1 more
Gov. Greg Abbott received approximately $9 million in campaign donations from data center-related donors between July 2025 and October 2026 while also issuing regulatory recommendations and pausing approvals for new data center grid connections. The donations accounted for about 13% of Abbott's total campaign funds during that period.
$approximately $9 million for campaign donations from data center-related donors
Greg Abbott, Texas governor; Rhett Bennett, CEO of Black Mountain; Black Mountain, Energy company building hyperscale data centers and 4 more