Ken Paxton

Ken Paxton, serving as Texas Attorney General since 2015, has faced numerous investigations and controversies throughout his tenure. In 2015, Paxton was indicted on three felony securities fraud charges for failing to disclose commissions while soliciting investors for a company called Servergy. The case ended in 2024 through a pretrial agreement requiring 100 hours of community service, 15 hours of ethics training, and approximately $271,000 to $300,000 in restitution. The charges were dismissed in 2025 without a guilty plea. A related 2016 federal SEC lawsuit was dismissed in 2017. In 2020, senior staff accused Paxton of bribery and abuse of office to benefit donor Nate Paul. This triggered a whistleblower lawsuit, in which a judge ruled in 2025 that Paxton improperly fired employees, ordering $6.6 million in damages. The Texas House impeached Paxton in 2023 on articles including bribery and abuse of public trust, but the Texas Senate acquitted him. The U.S. Department of Justice ultimately declined to prosecute. Additional controversies include a 2020 lawsuit attempting to overturn presidential election results in four states, which the Supreme Court rejected, and a 2022 State Bar of Texas lawsuit regarding professional misconduct. His wife, Angela Paxton, filed for divorce in 2025 citing adultery.