Category: State Official — Attorney General
Role: Texas Attorney General (2015–present); former Texas State Senator (2012–2014); former Texas State Representative (2002–2012)
Profile Type: Accountability Profile — Public Official (elected statewide officer)
Priority: P1 — Filed Texas v. Pennsylvania to overturn 2020 election results in four states; impeached by the Texas House on bribery and abuse of office charges; under criminal indictment for securities fraud since 2015

Background

Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr. (born December 1, 1963) earned his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1990. He served in the Texas House of Representatives (2002–2012) and the Texas State Senate (2012–2014) before being elected Attorney General in 2014.

Documented Actions

1. Texas v. Pennsylvania — Attempt to Overturn 2020 Election (December 2020)

On December 7, 2020, Paxton filed an original action in the U.S. Supreme Court (Texas v. Pennsylvania, No. 22O155) seeking to invalidate the certified election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — all states that President-elect Biden won.

The lawsuit alleged that these states made unconstitutional changes to their election procedures. Constitutional law scholars across the ideological spectrum described the suit as legally unprecedented and lacking merit:

• It asked one state to invalidate another state’s election results — a theory with no constitutional basis
• 18 Republican state attorneys general joined as amici
• 126 Republican House members signed an amicus brief supporting the suit

The Supreme Court rejected the case on December 11, 2020, finding Texas lacked standing because it had “not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections.”

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, Texas v. Pennsylvania, No. 22O155, December 11, 2020 (dismissed for lack of standing).

2. Securities Fraud Indictment (2015–Present)

In July 2015, a Collin County grand jury indicted Paxton on two first-degree felony charges of securities fraud and one third-degree felony charge of failing to register with state securities regulators. The charges relate to his promotion of Servergy Inc. stock to investors without disclosing that the company was compensating him for the referrals.

• Indicted July 2015 on two first-degree felony counts (securities fraud) and one third-degree felony count (failure to register as investment advisor)
• The case has been delayed for years due to disputes over special prosecutors’ fees and venue changes
• As of 2026, the criminal case remains pending

Court record: State of Texas v. Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr., Collin County, indictment filed July 2015; case transferred to Harris County (2017).

3. Texas House Impeachment — Bribery and Abuse of Office (May–September 2023)

On May 27, 2023, the Texas House of Representatives voted 121–23 to impeach Paxton on 20 articles of impeachment, including:

• Bribery and corrupt relationship with political donor Nate Paul (Austin real estate developer)
• Abuse of official capacity
• Obstruction of justice
• Making false statements to the Texas State Securities Board
• Misuse of office to benefit Nate Paul, including ordering agency investigations and legal interventions on Paul’s behalf

The vote was overwhelmingly bipartisan — in a Republican-supermajority chamber, 60 Republicans joined all Democrats in voting to impeach.

Source: Texas House of Representatives, Articles of Impeachment, May 27, 2023; House vote record, 121–23.

4. Texas Senate Acquittal (September 2023)

The Texas Senate tried Paxton on 16 articles in September 2023 and acquitted him on all counts. Key context:

• Paxton’s wife, Angela Paxton, served as a Texas State Senator and was present (but barred from voting) during the trial
• Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who presided over the trial, had received $3 million in campaign contributions from a pro-Paxton PAC during the proceedings
• Multiple legal observers noted the procedural irregularities

Source: Texas Senate trial record, September 2023; Texas Tribune reporting on PAC contributions during trial proceedings.

5. FBI Investigation and Whistleblower Retaliation (2020)

In September–October 2020, eight senior officials in Paxton’s office — including his first assistant attorney general — reported Paxton to the FBI, alleging he was using his office to benefit Nate Paul in exchange for Paul employing a woman with whom Paxton was having an affair, and for Paul renovating Paxton’s home.

Paxton fired or forced out all eight whistleblowers. They subsequently sued under Texas whistleblower protection law and received a $3.3 million settlement from the state in 2024.

Source: AP, “Eight senior Texas AG staffers report Paxton to FBI,” October 2020; Texas Tribune, “Paxton whistleblower settlement,” 2024.

Pattern Summary

Paxton’s documented conduct represents a pattern of using the power of the attorney general’s office for personal benefit (Nate Paul relationship), retaliating against internal dissent (whistleblower firings), and deploying the state’s legal authority to advance partisan electoral goals (Texas v. Pennsylvania). The securities fraud indictment predates his AG tenure and documents personal financial misconduct.

Investigative Trails

Education only — verify independently. Absence of hits is not proof.

• Supreme Court docket: Texas v. Pennsylvania, No. 22O155
• Collin County / Harris County court records: Securities fraud indictment and case history
• Texas House and Senate records: Impeachment articles, trial transcripts, vote records
• FBI investigation records: Referenced in whistleblower complaints and subsequent reporting
• Texas Ethics Commission: Campaign finance filings
• FEC filings: Federal campaign contributions and PAC activity

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Sources

1. Supreme Court of the United States, Texas v. Pennsylvania, No. 22O155, December 11, 2020.
2. Texas House of Representatives, Articles of Impeachment against Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr., May 27, 2023.
3. Texas Senate, Trial Record, September 2023.
4. State of Texas v. Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr., securities fraud indictment, Collin County, July 2015.
5. Associated Press, “Eight senior Texas AG staffers report Paxton to FBI,” October 2020.
6. Texas Tribune, “Paxton whistleblower settlement reaches $3.3 million,” 2024.
7. Texas Tribune, “Pro-Paxton PAC donated $3 million to Dan Patrick during impeachment,” September 2023.