Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a Republican runoff victory for the US Senate, despite facing numerous high-profile controversies throughout his tenure. The stunning contest set a record for the most expensive Senate primary campaign in US history.
Paxton has been embroiled in accusations of bribery, abuse of office, securities fraud, and more, including a 2023 impeachment. Here's a look at some of the key controversies:
In 2008, Paxton was accused of profiting from state contracts while in office. In 2013, he was accused of stealing a lawyer's pen. In 2015, he was indicted over securities fraud felony charges. In 2020, a group of conservative attorneys reported him to the FBI for bribery and abuse of office.
Paxton has also been sued by the State Bar of Texas for professional misconduct and was suspended from office after being impeached in 2023. A two-week Senate trial was held in September of 2023, and Paxton was acquitted of all charges.
Most recently, an Associated Press investigation revealed that the Paxtons had been claiming three different homes as their primary residence, saving them thousands of dollars in mortgage loan payments.
