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ken paxton
'He Thinks Working People Are a Joke': Ken Paxton Floats Social Security Cuts in Leaked Audio
“This is a sick man who thinks it’s a joke to push over a million Texans into poverty by stealing their hard-earned benefits."
Oct 08, 2026
Ken Paxton, the Republican Party’s nominee for the US Senate in Texas, expressed a willingness to cut programs such as Social Security in a leaked recording published by The Texas Tribune on Thursday.
In the recording, which was made during a private meeting with donors and lobbyists last month, Paxton said he'd target "mandatory spending" programs—which include Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid—when asked about addressing the US fiscal deficit.
“Making some reasonable cuts to mandatory spending—you’re gonna have to do it," Paxton said. "Or there is no solution. That’s just the reality. We have to suck it up."
BREAKING: Even more leaked audio of a secret Ken Paxton meeting just revealed him advocating for cutting Social Security and Medicare — while laughing with lobbyists about cutting their taxes. This guy is genuinely evil. https://t.co/tvl829v5CD
— Democratic Wins Media (@DemocraticWins) October 8, 2026
The Texas attorney general, who is currently locked in a tight electoral battle against Democrat James Talarico, ruled out tax increases to close the fiscal gap and said he'd back cutting taxes even further.
When lobbyist Jeanne Haggerty told Paxton that she'd "really like to pay my fair share of taxes, which is less than I’m paying right now," Paxton replied, "I'm with you on that," adding that "I think tax cuts will actually generate more revenue."
Paxton's claim flies in the face of decades' worth of evidence showing showing tax cuts result in less revenue for the federal government.
In a statement given to The Texas Tribune, Paxton denied that he planned to support cuts to Social Security or Medicare, even though those two programs make up the bulk of mandatory spending.
“We have to solve the national debt while keeping the promises we made to everyone who paid into these programs,” Paxton said. “The fake news keeps spinning the same cherry-picked audio to mislead Texans and take my words out of context. I have never said I would take away entitlements from those who deserve or earned them.”
The social media account of the Texas Democratic Party pounced on Paxton's leaked remarks.
"Paxton is literally laughing with lobbyists while talking about cutting Social Security and healthcare for Texans," the Texas Democrats wrote. "This guy is just plain evil."
Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, delivered a similarly scathing assessment of the Texas Republican.
"This is a sick man who thinks it’s a joke to push over a million Texans into poverty by stealing their hard-earned benefits," Lawson said. "This is a man who should not be allowed anywhere near the levers of power, since clearly he thinks working people are a joke to be laughed at with the billionaire donors he works for."
This is now the fourth leaked recording of Paxton to emerge in recent weeks. Prior recordings have featured the Texas Republican complaining about President Donald Trump's Dallas midterm convention and his illegal war with Iran hurting his campaign, as well as griping about a lack of control over his own campaign's messaging.
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Ken Paxton Blames Trump's Illegal War for His Political Woes in Yet Another Leaked Recording
"When it's over $6 per gallon for diesel... people are feeling the pinch."
Oct 07, 2026
Ken Paxton, the Republican Party's nominee for the US Senate in Texas, blamed President Donald Trump's illegal war with Iran for his political woes in a leaked recording published by Axios on Wednesday.
In the recording, which was made during a private meeting with donors and lobbyists last month, Paxton was asked by an attendee which issues were "dragging" his campaign.
"It's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel," the Texas attorney general responded. "When it's over $6 per gallon for diesel... people are feeling the pinch."
Paxton added that concerns about affordability were "by far our biggest problem" and "why we're having a hard time with the numbers."
Later in the recording, an attendee pointed out to Paxton that he "can't stop the war," to which Paxton replied, "Right."
"So many factors in this federal race are uncontrollable," Paxton explained. "I don't make the decisions, and I don't... know what's behind some of the decisions."
If Paxton were elected to the US Senate, he could vote for a war powers resolution to compel Trump to end the war, which was launched in February without congressional authorization.
This is now the third leaked recording of Paxton to emerge in recent weeks. Paxton is facing Democratic nominee James Talarico in November.
In a recording leaked to Politico on Monday, Paxton lamented that he has lost control of his campaign's messaging, which he said was being dictated from Washington, DC.
The New York Times last month published a Paxton recording in which he admitted that Trump's big midterm convention held in Dallas hurt his campaign.
“The numbers—when we did that convention—it dropped our numbers,” Paxton said. “Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good.”
Veteran Democratic strategist David Axelrod predicted that Trump would not be pleased by Paxton once again placing blame on the president's decisions for his political misfortunes.
"Next to the war and the tariffs," Axelrod wrote in a Wednesday social media post, "anointing Ken Paxton as the GOP candidate for the US Senate in Texas may turn out to be [Trump's] worst political decision and the one he most regrets."
John Huffman, the former Republican mayor of Southlake, Texas, wrote that, while Trump may not want to hear it, Paxton's assessment of the political environment was correct.
"The war, gas prices, higher cost of living etc., are all making this cycle very difficult for Republicans," Huffman argued. "In a normal year, even a candidate as broken as Paxton could eke out a W in Texas."
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'ScanDuel!' Latest Talarico Ad Targets Paxton's History of Outrageous Scandals
"Here’s a tip: Always bet that he did the thing."
Oct 06, 2026
The campaign of Texas Democratic US Senate candidate James Talarico on Tuesday unleashed a new attack ad against his Republican rival, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, that targeted his long history of outrageous scandals.
The ad, titled "ScanDuel," is a parody of mobile betting apps such as FanDuel and DraftKings, and it invites viewers to place bets on whether Paxton really engaged in a wide range of scandalous behavior.
In an unsurprising twist, the narrator of the mock ad suggests would-be bettors will always make money if they wager that the Paxton scandal is true.
NEW AD: Introducing SCANDUEL! The only betting app where you can parlay Ken Paxton’s scandals — and get paid! Here’s a tip: Always bet that he did the thing. 💰 https://t.co/Hir2F2UALC
— Team Talarico (@TeamTalaricoHQ) October 6, 2026
The ad starts by touting ScanDuel as "the only betting app where you can parlay Ken Paxton offering a plea deal to a pedophile with Ken Paxton voting to protect puppy abusers."
The plea deal mentioned in the ad refers to the case of Adam Hoffman, an attorney based in Waco, Texas, who had been indicted on a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a minor.
After Hoffman's first trial ended with a hung jury, Paxton's office reached a bargain with the accused child molester in which he would plead guilty to lesser charges and serve a single day in prison. Additionally, Hoffman would not have to register as a sex offender.
The judge overseeing the case mandated that Hoffman serve 60 days in jail, but he ultimately served only half that time.
Paxton's protection of puppy abusers, meanwhile, refers to Paxton's 2015 legal opinion used by university Texas A&M to deny public records requests from animal rescue organizations about hundreds of dogs that faced abusive treatment at one of its research labs.
As reported by The Houston Chronicle at the time, Paxton's opinion held that Texas A&M was under no obligation to release its records because doing so would violate "the confidential relationship between the veterinarian and the veterinarian's client."
Legal experts raised objections to this reasoning, given that the animals obtained by the research lab came from shelters, and thus had no owners who could give consent for the records' release.
Other Paxton scandals referenced in the Talarico ad include sworn testimony from a process server who said the Texas AG fled in a truck driven by his wife to avoid being served a subpoena, and Paxton mysteriously receiving regular income cumulatively worth more than $1 million from a cellphone tower located on the property of a hospital where he was previously a board member.
"Here's a tip," the ad says. "Always bet that he did the thing."
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'It Dropped Our Numbers': In Leaked Audio, Ken Paxton Admits Trump's Texas Convention Backfired
"If there’s one big no-no with Donald Trump, it’s insulting a big ostentatious event that he puts on," said one observer.
Sep 30, 2026
Texas Republican US Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately conceded that President Donald Trump's big "Trumpapalooza" midterm convention in the state backfired politically.
The New York Times on Wednesday published a leaked recording of Paxton telling right-wing donors and lobbyists last week that Trump's convention, held earlier this month in Dallas, was a net negative for his campaign.
"The numbers—when we did that convention—it dropped our numbers," Paxton said at one point. "Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good."
Delicious 🤣🍿 pic.twitter.com/iE3mT6gGEF https://t.co/63G5gBO1wl
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) September 30, 2026
The Times report noted that Paxton not only attended the Dallas convention, but featured prominently in it, occupying a "prime seat" in the arena.
Paxton, who will face Democratic nominee James Talarico in November, is also receiving significant help from Trump's MAGA Inc. super political action committee, which is spending $20 million to boost his candidacy.
Jake Sherman, founder of Punchbowl News, remarked in a social media post that the leaked audio is "not good for Paxton," as the Texas Republican is not only "trashing Trump in a fundraiser," but "also trying to shift blame for his bad numbers."
Zenith Polls founder Adam Carlson similarly predicted that Paxton's remarks would get him into hot water with Trump.
"If there’s one big no-no with Donald Trump, it’s insulting a big ostentatious event that he puts on," Carlson explained. "Whether or not this draws his direct public ire, Paxton needs Trump, Trump-aligned super PAC money, and die-hard Trump voters to pull off the win. This could jeopardize all of that."
The social media account of the Texas Democratic Party jumped on the story, arguing that "Paxton has a history of defrauding and betraying Texans," and thus "it was only a matter of time before he betrayed Trump."
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin took the opportunity to ridicule Republicans for basing their 2026 midterm campaign around the president, whom polls show has a job approval rating under 40%.
"They put Trump on full display and now they’re shocked voters noticed," Martin wrote. "We told you the guy was an anchor. Thanks for insisting on tying him around the neck of every Republican on the ballot."
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) also took a dig at the president, writing that the leaked Paxton audio shows "the Emperor has no coattails."
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Family of Tierra Walker—Who Died After Being Denied Abortion Care—Sues Texas AG Ken Paxton
State officials "have imposed a merciless blanket prohibition on abortion that intimidates doctors into inaction," says the lawsuit. "Too many pregnant Texans have already died preventable deaths."
Sep 16, 2026
"Tierra Walker is dead, and those responsible must be held accountable."
That's the opening line of a lawsuit filed by Walker's family in Bexar County, Texas this week against the state's Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, and various others over the death of the 37-year-old pregnant San Antonio woman.
On December 30, 2024, Walker's son "found her in bed, not breathing," the complaint notes. "It was his 15th birthday."
The teenager, as well as Walker's husband, mother, and aunt, who is responsible for her estate, are all involved in the wrongful death suit—the first of its kind, linking a "preventable death" to an abortion ban, according to The 19th.
In addition to Paxton, who is running for US Senate with support from President Donald Trump, the family is suing Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales, Texas Medical Board Executive Director Stephen Brint Carlton, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and three doctors who treated Walker before she died.
"During the four months of her pregnancy, as she suffered through seizures, blood clots, and one hypertensive crisis after another, Ms. Walker repeatedly asked for an abortion to save her life," explains the filing. "Defendants associated with University Health responded only 'your baby is fine,' disregarding Ms. Walker's deteriorating health and constitutionally protected right to life."
The document argues that "their deliberate indifference, discrimination, and medical mistreatment ultimately caused her horrific and tragic death. Now, Ms. Walker's husband is a widower. Her disabled mother has lost her daughter and caregiver. And her teenaged son has no mother."
"Meanwhile, from the moment Texas' first abortion ban went into effect in 2021, through the overturning of Roe v. Wade, through the present day, defendants Ken Paxton and Stephen Brint Carlton have imposed a merciless blanket prohibition on abortion that intimidates doctors into inaction and breeds extreme fear among Texas' medical establishment," the filing notes. "As a result, too many pregnant Texans have already died preventable deaths. Yet no one has held them accountable."
The suit—filed by the principal attorney at the Marynell Maloney Law Firm and Amplify Legal, the litigation arm of the nonprofit Abortion in America—is designed to do just that.
"Tierra had a treatable medical condition, the problem was that the treatment she needed was an abortion," said attorney Michelle Maloney in a statement. "She died a preventable death. Medical and political negligence killed Tierra Walker."
Defendants in the case have declined to comment or, in some cases, even respond to media outlets, including The Texas Tribune. As the newspaper detailed Wednesday:
Months after Walker died, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 31 aimed at ensuring that pregnant women receive lifesaving care under the state’s near-total abortion ban. It says that a patient doesn’t have to be in "imminent" medical crisis for doctors to intervene and that a doctor can only be charged if the state can prove "no reasonable doctor" would have made the same call. It also requires the Texas Medical Board to create training for doctors, which was finalized in early 2026.
But Molly Duane, one of the lawyers representing the Walker family, said during a news conference on Wednesday that SB 31 would not have prevented Walker's death.
"I would love if the Texas Legislature would actually take their responsibility here seriously and get rid of the laws that are causing so many deaths. I just don't have any confidence that that is something that they can do in this environment, but ultimately, that's a political question," Duane said.
ProPublica first reported that Walker "died after she couldn't get an abortion in Texas" last November. The investigative outlet has exposed similar deaths in the state—those of Nevaeh Crain and Porsha Ngumezi—as well as the first known case of a fatal abortion care denial in the wake of the Roe reversal: Amber Nicole Thurman in Georgia.
"No one else should have to experience what my family has gone through. Tierra was the glue that held our family together, and now she's gone," said Walker's aunt, LaTanya Walker. "Doctors all turned a blind eye as Tierra was dying, and refused to give her the abortion she needed to save her life. She deserves justice."
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Possibly 'Best Political Ad Yet This Season' Shows Texas Republican Ken Paxton's 2012 Pen Theft
"Vote for James Talarico. He won't steal your pen."
Aug 14, 2026
A pilfered $1,000 Montblanc pen, courthouse security camera footage, and a man with a long memory have become unlikely stars of a new ad released on Friday in Texas' hotly contested US Senate race.
Democratic nominee James Talarico's campaign released the ad, which spotlights a 2012 incident in which his Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton purloined the posh pen accidentally left behind by attorney Joe Joplin in the Collin County Courthouse, which the ad notes is "the same courthouse where Paxton would later be indicted for investment fraud" for allegedly scamming his own friends by convincing them to invest in a failing tech company while he made a commission.
"Paxton walked up to the trays next to the metal detectors, rummaged through them, and came across someone else's expensive Montblanc pen. He decided to take it for himself," the ad states, showing courthouse security video of the incident.
The pen, the ad's narrator continued, "was a special gift" from Joplin's wife.
"When Joe realized it was missing, he contacted courthouse security," the ad says. "This is the footage they pulled. Ken Paxton, on camera, stealing this man's pen. After the police got involved, Joe got his pen back. He could have pressed charges, but he decided against it."
"Because Joe's a nice guy, and he'd never take someone else's pen," the clip continues. "But he also hasn't forgotten who took his."
The ad then cuts to a shot of Joplin saying, "Hi, I'm Joe Joplin, and I endorse James Talarico for the United States Senate."
Then, this tagline: "Vote for James Talarico. He won't steal your pen."
While viewers undoubtedly got a good laugh out of the ad—and some may have ponied up $6 for a pen labeled "Not Ken Paxton's" for sale on Talarico's campaign website—the candidate's team is using it to illustrate the character of a man the Democrat has repeatedly called "the most corrupt politician in America."
🚨MERCH DROP🚨Get your very own "Not Ken Paxton's Pen" today:store.jamestalarico.com
[image or embed]
— Team Talarico (@teamtalaricohq.bsky.social) August 14, 2026 at 10:22 AM
In addition to Paxton's 2015 securities fraud indictment—a case that ultimately ended in a 2025 deal in which he pleaded no contest, received deferred adjudication, completed community service, and paid restitution—the Republican attorney general was impeached by the GOP-controlled Texas House in 2023 over allegations including bribery, abuse of office, and misuse of public resources. The state Senate subsequently acquitted him.
Dan Cogdell, the Houston attorney who represented Paxton during his impeachment, has endorsed Talarico.
Talarico has also argued that Paxton used the power of his office to enrich himself and wealthy political supporters, portraying him as a politician who puts personal and donor interests ahead of ordinary Texans. Talarico's campaign claims Paxton's net worth has increased by 7,000% since he entered office, and that he now owns 11 homes.
“He has taken bribes from wealthy donors and then turned around and blocked overtime pay for Texas workers and gutted our healthcare,” Talarico said during a campaign rally in late May. “This is why he was impeached by his fellow Republicans. That’s why he was indicted for fraud and defrauding investors.”
“The movement that we’re building is a lot bigger than any one politician or any one political party,” Talarico added. “We are running against this corrupt system. Ken Paxton embodies that system."
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Backlash as Texas Approves 'Unconstitutional' Mandatory Bible Lessons in Public Schools
“That’s government-sponsored religious favoritism—and the First Amendment strictly forbids it," said one critic.
Jun 26, 2026
As education officials in Texas ban hundreds of books that run afoul of their interpretation of Christian morality, the State Board of Education on Friday approved a required reading list that forces the state's more than 5 million public school students to read from the Bible.
The Republican-controlled SBOE voted 9-5 with one abstention to approve the list, which includes passages from the Book of Exodus as well as the Shepherd's Psalm and the myths of Adam and Eve and David and Goliath.
"We’re going to stop watering down American history. We’re going to teach the truth. Our nation was founded as a Christian nation, and Texas is a Christian state,” Republican board member Brandon Hall—who is also a youth pastor at Cavalry Baptist Church in Springtown—said during a Thursday press conference in Austin.
That "truth" omits or marginalizes climate change, US imperialism, women's history, the genocide of Indigenous peoples, slavery, and racism.
Evelyn Brooks, the only Republican SBOE member to vote against the required reading list, told CNN on Friday that she believes the board's move is "unconstitutional."
“Teachers need to have their autonomy," she said. "They’ve been selecting books for decades."
In 2023, Texas' Republican-controlled Legislature passed HB 1605, which mandated the creation of a K-12 required reading list and directed the Texas Education Agency to develop state-owned textbooks. Those texts, called Bluebonnet Learning, contain lessons on Christianity starting in kindergarten. The SBOE approved Bluebonnet Learning as an optional curriculum in late 2024 and is currently working to correct thousands of errors in the curriculum at a cost of over $8 million to Texas taxpayers.
The SBOE action comes amid a legal battle over SB 10, a law signed last year by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that requires public elementary and secondary schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. US District Judge Fred Biery, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, subsequently issued a preliminary injunction blocking the law. Texas families also sued to block the legislation. However, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton—who is running for US Senate—demanded that schools comply with the law.
Public schools "exist to educate students with diverse faith backgrounds, as well as those who adhere to no faith doctrine," the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) said Friday. "Public schools are not Sunday schools, and elected officials have no business using state power to elevate one religion above all others. A required reading list that overwhelmingly favors Christian texts while excluding the writings and literary traditions of other faiths, not to mention the perspectives of millions of nonreligious Americans, sends an unmistakable message about who belongs and who does not."
FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor asserted that “a mandatory public school reading list should never function as a Bible lesson."
"Texas is telling millions of children that one religion deserves the government’s seal of approval, while everyone else is an afterthought," she added. "That’s government-sponsored religious favoritism—and the First Amendment strictly forbids it.”
Rabbi Joshua Fixler at Congregation Emanu El in Houston told CNN Friday that "this list is full of Christian texts that are inappropriate for public school classrooms."
"As a rabbi and a parent of Jewish kids, I think it is vital that this board make a distinction between teaching about religion and teaching religion," he added. "This list will force teachers to cross that line."
Fort Worth high school teacher Chanea Bond told The Associated Press on Friday that the SBOE's required reading list is "very old and very white."
“It is very narrow and does not represent what classrooms in Texas look like,” she said. “Going through most of high school without ever having much value put into voices that sound like yours kind of sends a message that your voices aren’t valuable.”
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Texas Lawyer Who Defended Paxton Against Impeachment Endorses Talarico for US Senate
“Republicans have had control of Texas for 30 years,” said lawyer Dan Cogdell. "We are last in the country in healthcare, bottom for education, first in school shootings, first in most uninsured.”
Jun 08, 2026
James Talarico, the Democratic Texas state representative hoping to flip Sen. John Cornyn's seat blue this November, just received the endorsement of a rather unlikely figure: his opponent’s longtime defense lawyer.
Dan Cogdell, the Houston attorney who represented Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for nearly a decade, said on Monday that his former client was too focused on serving President Donald Trump and had "lost sight" of the goal to serve Texans.
Cogdell defended Paxton in 2023 when he was impeached by the GOP-controlled Texas House of Representatives for allegedly accepting bribes from a campaign donor, and in a separate securities fraud case that began in 2015 and lasted nearly a decade.
“I defended Ken Paxton for years in the impeachment trial and in state criminal cases. But in my view, respectfully, I think Ken has lost sight of his core mission, which is to represent the people of Texas,” Cogdell said on his podcast, where he hosted Talarico, the 37-year-old state representative, who won the Democratic primary in March.
“Unlike Ken, I believe to my core that James Talarico believes in unity over division and that he knows how to assemble not only Democrats, but Independents and Republicans, and we need that right now,” Cogdell continued.
According to NOTUS, which first reported on Cogdell's endorsement, the attorney had donated $6,500 to Paxton's Senate campaign last year, but turned around to give Talarico a $1,000 donation in March.
Paxton won the Republican Senate primary last month after Trump intervened to support him over Cornyn.
Cogdell has, in recent years, broken with Trump, referring to him last year as “the greatest threat to democracy our country’s ever seen," comments that were used in anti-Paxton attack ads.
But as he's pursued a Senate run, Paxton—who attempted to help the president overturn his loss in the 2020 election—has only doubled down on his Trump loyalty. In the president's second term, the attorney general has directed Texas law enforcement to help with his national mass deportation campaign, backed his efforts to carry out ruthless partisan redistricting, and pursued legal action against the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue.
Talarico is hoping to become the first Democrat to win a statewide election in Texas in over 30 years. Cogdell said he would represent a much-needed change.
“Republicans have had control of Texas for 30 years. Enough is enough. We are last in the country in healthcare, bottom for education, first in school shootings, first in most uninsured,” he said. “We are in a war we shouldn’t be in. Gas is so expensive, I literally can’t fill up my truck because most pumps shut off at $125.00, and at over $5.00 a gallon, that’s not even a full tank.”
Talarico, who is tied or slightly leading Paxton in recent polls, seized on Cogdell’s endorsement to welcome disgruntled Cornyn supporters into the Democratic tent after a bitter primary.
“If you voted for John Cornyn, you have a place in this campaign,” Talarico said. “If you’re a Republican tired of the corruption you’re seeing in government, you have a place in this campaign. Even if you’re Ken Paxton’s impeachment lawyer, you have a place in this campaign. We are building a people-powered movement that welcomes Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike.”
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Ken Paxton—Dubbed 'Most Corrupt Politician in America'—Wins Texas Senate Primary
"Ken Paxton embodies the broken political system that we're running against," said James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat.
May 27, 2026
Ken Paxton, the scandal-plagued Texas attorney general backed by President Donald Trump, handily won a Republican US Senate primary runoff on Tuesday, ousting incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and setting up a critical race with Democratic nominee James Talarico—who wasted no time blasting Paxton's long record of self-dealing.
"Ken Paxton embodies the broken political system that we're running against," Talarico, a Texas state representative, said in an MS NOW appearance following Paxton's victory. "He is the most corrupt politician in America. Three years ago tomorrow, he was impeached by his own party for using his public office, his position of public trust, to enrich himself and his donors at our expense."
Talarico highlighted that Paxton has been indicted on securities fraud charges and said he "has shown over and over again that he's only concerned about himself."
"And that is exactly the problem in our politics," said the Democratic candidate. "It's puppet politicians who serve themselves and their billionaire megadonors instead of serving us. It's why we can't afford anything. It's why we can't get ahead no matter how hard we work. The system is rigged by corrupt politicians like Ken Paxton. And so it's going to be all of us. It's going to be Democrats, independents, and Republicans. It's going to be urban Texans, rural Texans, suburban Texans. It's going to be all of us coming together, the people versus Ken Paxton."
Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in America.
He embodies the broken system we’re running against.
It’s time to come together: The People vs. Ken Paxton pic.twitter.com/xL3cckibX9
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) May 27, 2026
US Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, echoed Talarico, dubbing Paxton "the most corrupt politician in America" and adding, "Calling Ken Paxton just a crook is like calling Texas summers a little bit warm."
"The guy makes Richard Nixon look like a Boy Scout," said Casar. "We cannot allow him to become a United States Senator."
The Texas Tribune noted in its coverage of the primary outcome that Paxton is "known for his checkered history of personal ethics and legal troubles: He was once indicted for felony securities fraud (charges that were later dropped) and impeached by the GOP-controlled Texas House for corruption and abuse of office (and acquitted by the Republican majority in the Senate). And he has come under fire for alleged infidelity and an accumulation of assets during his time in office."
A Wall Street Journal report published last year detailed how Paxton "went from being a middle-class lawyer to a multimillionaire during his two decades on a public official’s salary."
"Paxton, who entered state government in 2003 with a modest income and few assets, by 2018 told a lender he had amassed a net worth of about $5.5 million, not including millions in assets he and his wife had previously moved into a blind trust," the Journal reported. "The following year, Paxton reaped an additional $2.2 million gain—never previously disclosed—from his investment in a local company with a lucrative Texas state contract."
Talarico—who, if victorious in November, could be a decisive factor in helping Democrats retake control of the US Senate—said in his television appearance late Tuesday that Paxton "owns 11 homes while we can't afford one."
"Ken Paxton's net worth went up by 7,000% while our pay has been stagnant," he added. "This is not just about Ken Paxton—it's about the corrupt system that he embodies, that he represents. If we can defeat the most corrupt politician in America in this year, in this race, in this state, then we can defeat this entire corrupt system."
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Texas Families Sue to Stop Display of Ten Commandments in Public Schools
"As multiple courts have reaffirmed, the First Amendment safeguards the rights of individuals to choose whether and how they engage with religion, and that protection extends to every classroom," said one lawyer.
Sep 22, 2025
The battle over Texas' Senate Bill 10 continued on Monday, with families in the state filing a federal lawsuit to block the display of a Protestant Christian version of the Ten Commandments in a "conspicuous place" in every public school classroom.
"This lawsuit, brought on behalf of a new group of Texas families, underscores a critical principle: Public schools across the state must uphold—not undermine—the constitutional protections afforded to every student," said Jon Youngwood, global co-chair of the litigation department at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, which represents the plaintiffs.
"As multiple courts have reaffirmed, the First Amendment safeguards the rights of individuals to choose whether and how they engage with religion, and that protection extends to every classroom," Youngwood continued.
The new complaint, filed in the Western District of Texas, explains that "last month, this district court ruled that SB 10 is 'plainly unconstitutional' and likely violates the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment... And in June, the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit held the same regarding a Louisiana statute similar to SB 10."
"Despite these precedents, the defendant school districts have pressed forward with actually posting SB 10 displays in classrooms, or have confirmed they will do so shortly—even after receiving a letter from plaintiffs' counsel," the filing explains.
"All students—regardless of their race or religious background—should feel accepted and free to be themselves in Texas public schools."
After US District Judge Fred Biery, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, issued a preliminary injunction against SB 10 last month, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for US Senate, said that only the school districts involved in that case are affected and all others must abide by the law. Paxton also appealed the previous decision to the 5th Circuit.
With the latest filing, the families are seeking a declaratory judgment that SB 10 is unconstitutional. In both Texas cases, the plaintiffs are represented by not only Simpson Thacher but also Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the state and national ACLU, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
"This lawsuit is a continuation of our work to defend the First Amendment and ensure that government officials stay out of personal family decisions," said Chloe Kempf, staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas. "All students—regardless of their race or religious background—should feel accepted and free to be themselves in Texas public schools."
The families behind this latest filing have various beliefs. Nichole Manning, for example, called SB 10 "a calculated step to erode the separation of church and state and the right for my family to exercise our nonreligious beliefs."
Another plaintiff, Lenee Bien-Willner, said that "forcing religion, any religion, on others violates my Jewish faith."
"It troubles me greatly to have Christian displays imposed on my children," she said. "Not only is the text not aligned with Judaism, but the commandments should be taught in the context of a person's faith tradition. State-sponsored religion, however, does not belong in the public classroom."
Even some Christians are opposed to the Texas law. Plaintiff Rev. Kristin Klade said that "as a devout Christian and a Lutheran pastor, the spiritual formation of my children is a privilege I take more seriously than anything else in my life."
"The mandated Ten Commandments displays in my children's public school impede my ability to 'train up my child in the way he should go' (Proverbs 22:6)," she said. "I address questions about God and faith with great care, and I emphatically reject the notion that the state would do this for me."
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