The Texas Attorney General’s Office has officially closed its investigation into Superior HealthPlan Insurance, determining that the company did not violate Texas law in its use of private investigators (PIs) to collect information on lawmakers, journalists, and private citizens.
The inquiry, launched in late March by Attorney General Ken Paxton, came after allegations surfaced that Superior had employed private investigators to conduct surveillance and gather potentially confidential information on individuals, including lawmakers on the House Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency (DOGE), journalists, and private citizens with insurance claims pending against the company.
Following these revelations, the Texas Attorney General’s Office (OAG) issued Civil Investigative Demands requiring Superior to submit relevant documents. The OAG assigned its Consumer Protection Division and Health Programs Enforcement Division to conduct a thorough and expedited review of the materials provided.
After examining the evidence, the investigation concluded that Superior’s private investigators primarily gathered and consolidated publicly available information from various sources. These included internet searches, subscription databases, filings with the Texas Ethics Commission, and other publicly accessible records. Importantly, there was no evidence of illegal surveillance, privacy violations, or collection of confidential or protected health information.
In a statement, the OAG clarified, “Superior’s activities involved researching and consolidating publicly available documents into internal reports, which does not violate Texas law. There was no evidence of any surveillance or violation of privacy discovered or indicated within the investigation.”
The probe also highlighted that hiring private investigators is a common practice within the insurance industry to verify the validity of claims. However, the controversy stemmed from concerns that Superior might have targeted non-claimants and collected confidential data — concerns that the investigation found unsubstantiated.
The investigation further shed light on some individuals whose information was reportedly compiled by the PIs contracted by Superior’s parent company, Centene Corporation. These included state Representative Giovanni Capriglione (R-Southlake), now-General Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, state Senator Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown), and Representative Sergio Muñoz Jr. (D-Palmview). A reference was also made to “Juan Hinojosa,” though it remains unclear if this referred to state Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (D-McAllen).
The controversy initially came to light following a heated DOGE committee hearing in which Superior’s CEO, Mark Sanders, faced intense questioning about the company’s investigative practices. The fallout from that hearing led to Sanders’ dismissal.
Attorney General Paxton’s decision to close the investigation comes as a reassurance that while the tactics used by Superior’s investigators raised concerns, they did not breach any state laws. The case underscores the delicate balance between legitimate investigative practices in insurance claims and the privacy rights of individuals.
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