Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton under fire over allegations of an extramarital affair, and Paxton is accused of helping that woman get a job with one of his wealthy donors.
According to the Associated Press, Paxton had an extramarital affair with a woman he later helped get a job with a real estate developer, who’s at the center of recent criminal allegations against the Republican.
Two people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity say that Paxton told them in 2018 that he had an affair with a former state Senate aide.
Austin developer Nate Paul said in a deposition this week that Paxton recommended the woman for her job with Paul’s real estate company, according to a transcript of his deposition obtained by the AP. The woman had stopped working as a Senate aide at the end of 2019, though her reason for departing wasn't immediately clear.
Paul's hiring of the woman at Paxton's recommendation sheds new light on the relationship between the two men.
The attorney general's top deputies reported their boss to the FBI in September for alleged bribery, abuse of office and other crimes. Those allegations stem in part from Paxton's decision to investigate Paul's claims that a federal judge and the FBI broke the law in searches of his home and offices last year.
The disclosure of the affair is likely to deepen political problems for Paxton, who has gained a national profile in office as a crusader for conservative Christian legal causes, even while maintaining his innocence in the face of separate criminal charges.
Spokespersons for the attorney general did not respond to questions Thursday.
The allegations sparked new calls for Paxton’s resignation and raised questions about his ties with the developer. Paxton has acknowledged knowing Paul, who gave his campaign $25,000 in 2018, but the full nature of their relationship has been unclear.