Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is appealing a lawsuit he brought against one of America’s largest pharmaceutical companies.
“BREAKING: We will appeal the ruling and continue fighting to hold Pfizer accountable,” the state’s top law enforcement official posted on X.
“Pfizer repeatedly and knowingly misrepresented the effectiveness and safety of their COVID-19 vaccine and pressured Americans to take the shot without full knowledge of the risks,” he said, adding, “When consumers questioned the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine, Pfizer sought to silence them—prioritizing profits over the truth. I will not stop until Pfizer is held accountable for deceptively pushing its COVID-19 vaccine on consumers.”
Attached to his post was a copy of his office’s official announcement dated January 8, 2025.
The statement gave some relevant background information:
In November 2023, Attorney General Paxton sued Pfizer for unlawfully misrepresenting the effectiveness and safety of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine. Further, Pfizer conspired with social media platforms to censor criticism and label posts containing truthful information about its vaccine as “misinformation.” In December 2024, a federal district judge dismissed the lawsuit, claiming that the federal government had given Pfizer immunity through the Public Readiness and Emergency Act. Today, Attorney General Paxton filed a notice that we will appeal the ruling and continue fighting to hold Pfizer accountable.
This document linked to the most recent filings from Paxton and the OAG Consumer Protection Division in the Northern District of Texas that notified the pharmaceutical giant of the appeal.
The action was predicated upon a legal defeat. Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings ruled that Pfizer is “entitled to immunity under the federal Public Readiness and Emergency Act” in an order signed on December 30, 2024.
“After careful consideration of the arguments, applicable law, and circumstances presented, the Court finds that the Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED,” Cummings continued.
The Attorney General announced his decision to appeal the lawsuit just days after an online firestorm swirled around Paxton for refusing to comment on another COVID-connected case. On January 6, Paxton declined to answer a question from The Dallas Express about whether he intends to intervene in a case from the Texas Medical Board against COVID-crusader Dr. Mary Talley Bowden.
No matter the outcome of either case, Paxton’s political profile appears to be on the rise. A Liberty Insights poll that was reportedly conducted between January 4 and 6 showed that Paxton is the current favorite to win the Republican nomination for the Senate in 2026 against incumbent John Cornyn.