Ken Paxton’s financial disclosures face ethics questions, review finds
A ProPublica and Texas Tribune review says the Texas attorney-general and Republican Senate nominee may have omitted rental income and mortgages and undervalued property.
Texas Attorney-General and Republican US Senate nominee Ken Paxton may have breached federal financial-disclosure requirements, according to a review by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune.
Recent filings listed seven homes but reported no rental income. The news organisations found that six had recently been advertised for rent, while tenants or neighbours confirmed some were occupied by renters. Paxton selected “None (or less than $201)” for income from each property.
The filings also omitted three mortgages totalling about US$1.3 million on condominiums at Utah’s Black Desert Resort. Federal rules require candidates to report loans exceeding US$10,000, except for personal residences. Records showed the mortgages included provisions used for rental properties, although it remains unclear whether the units were enrolled in the resort’s rental programme.
The review also raised questions about property valuations. Paxton reported a 20 per cent share in undeveloped Texas land at no more than US$50,000 in an earlier filing, while business partner Rob Orr said the stake had been worth about US$1 million for several years. Paxton’s reported net-worth range rose from negative US$1.9 million–US$11.1 million to US$1 million–US$27 million, largely because of higher property valuations.
Three ethics experts said the apparent omissions could violate disclosure law and make it harder to assess Paxton’s wealth, assets and liabilities. The allegations have not been formally established by a court or ethics authority. Paxton’s campaign denied wrongdoing, calling the claims partisan and “manufactured controversy”. The Senate Ethics Committee did not respond to requests for comment.
