Ken Paxton hit With Real Estate Controversy

Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is having a rough month on his journey to the U.S. Senate, and it just got more complicated with a real estate controversy.

Attorney General Paxton has finally disclosed eight properties to the Texas Ethics Commission, after years of keeping his real estate interests mostly under wraps.

The filings, which were made late last month, list properties held jointly with his wife, state Senator Angela Paxton (R), as well as properties he holds alone. This contrasts with his 2022 and 2023 filings, in which the attorney general claimed the state’s ethics laws “lacked detail” and did not require disclosure of assets in his blind trust.

“I’ve disclosed everything I’m required to disclose,” he told Texas Public Radio in January 2024, brushing off mounting questions. However, a newly adopted Ethics Commission rule now requires disclosure of properties held in blind trusts if officials have “actual knowledge” of them, prompting his update.

Despite the update, there are still concerns.

Public records suggest the Paxtons or their trust still own at least 10 properties in five states. None of the new filings list rental income, despite evidence that at least two of the properties, an Oklahoma cabin and a Florida rental, are generating income.

State Senator Paxton, who filed for divorce on July 10, is now seeking sole use of the family’s McKinney home and other assets. Court records have since been sealed, shielding details of the couple’s finances from public view.

The real estate disclosures come at a difficult time for the attorney general.

He’s challenging incumbent Senator John Cornyn (R) in the Republican primary. Senator Cornyn, who is a former Texas attorney general, has publicly criticized Attorney General Paxton’s ethics record.

In his latest attack, Senator Cornyn's campaign launched a website regarding his political rival's alleged adultery.

Attorney General Paxton is still leading in the polls.