Must-Win MAGA Candidate Ken Paxton Throws Estranged Wife Under the Bus

Ken Paxton’s deposition is the latest leak to hit his struggling campaign.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife, State Senator Angela Paxton

Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters

A leaked deposition shows Senate candidate Ken Paxton defended himself against fraud allegations by claiming he doesn’t remember and blaming his now-estranged wife.

The Texas attorney general’s never-before-seen 2014 testimony from a fraud probe was given to The New York Times by someone who opposes his election and was then independently verified by The Times.

It was the latest leak to hit the struggling MAGA candidate in the must-win race, as he has also faced a slow drip of audio leaks.

The deposition was part of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation into a technology start-up in McKinney, Texas, called Servergy Inc.

Donald Trump and Republican US Senate candidate Ken Paxton attend a campaign rally at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas, US, October 7, 2026.

Senate candidate Ken Paxton, pictured campaigning with President Trump on October 7, has been hit with another leak, this time a 2014 deposition in a fraud probe.

The SEC grilled Paxton, who represented the state district where it was based, on whether he hid that the company compensated him for recruiting investors, the Times reported, as its founder, Bill Mapp, was accused of making false statements to investors.

Paxton has long fought allegations of corruption and questions about his ballooning wealth for years while serving in public office, but he has never been convicted.

Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox

Speaking under oath to federal lawyers in 2014, Paxton defended himself while using phrases such as “I don’t remember” and “I don’t recall” more than 200 times, according to the report.

He passed the buck to his now-estranged wife, Angela Paxton, when asked about his tax returns, which appeared to contradict part of his testimony.

“I haven’t prepared a tax return in a long time because I don’t have time, so typically, actually my wife actually does them,” Paxton said.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife, State Senator Angela Paxton, speaks to anti-abortion supporters outside the U.S. Supreme Court following arguments over a challenge to a Texas law that bans abortion after six weeks in Washington, U.S., November 1, 2021.

Ken and Angela Paxton in 2021. She filed for divorce last year.

Lawyers questioned Paxton about emails in which the start-up’s founder, Mapp, appeared to offer him a commission for recruiting investors.

Paxton claimed he did not remember reading many of Mapp’s emails, according to the report, and did not perform services for the company.

When confronted with his own tax returns, showing Paxton had disclosed $100,000 for “legal services” to the company, he pointed the finger at his then-wife.

Paxton met with Mapp at a Dairy Queen to give him a check for his investment with Servergy, but Mapp rejected the money and instead gifted him 100,000 shares of stock, the report said.

“He said, I can’t take your money. God doesn’t want me to take your money,’” Paxton told lawyers in the deposition.

When asked why Mapp would give him shares for free, Paxton said in the deposition, “It was not logical,” and claimed, “Bill is a spiritual person.” He also said he did not ask a lawyer if it were appropriate to accept the shares.

He also told the lawyers he could not remember where the certificate proving he owned the stocks was.

Paxton listed the shares as stocks on his annual financial reports filed with state ethics regulators, but a Texas ethics law expert told The Times that Paxton may have violated state rules by not disclosing the shares as a gift.

During the deposition, Paxton also said he had more than $400,000 invested in various companies, but he said he did not have time to track his investments.

The federal judge dismissed the SEC’s fraud case against Paxton in 2017, saying he had no obligation to tell investors he had received something of value from the company.

Last year, Angela Paxton filed for divorce, accusing her husband of infidelity. The Daily Beast asked her for comment on the report but did not immediately hear back. She declined to comment to The Times.

The Daily Beast also asked for comment from Paxton’s campaign. In response to The Times, a Paxton adviser called the leaked deposition a distraction and argued the candidate “has been politically persecuted for years for standing up to the establishment, and Texans have seen through it every time.”

Unlock a year of full access to The Daily Beast for $35.

What’s IncludedUnlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events

Auto-renews at $5.99 monthly. Cancel anytime

What’s IncludedDiscounted annual rate – Save 47%Unlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events

Auto-renews at $59.99 yearly. Cancel anytime

Best Value

What’s IncludedDiscounted annual rateFull access to the Daily Beast Substack ($60 value)*Premium ad-free readingUnlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events

Auto-renews at $119.99 yearly. Cancel anytime

*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.

Looks like you already have a subscription!

You’re all set!

Thanks for subscribing.

Back to plans

Subscription$0.00

Total$0.00

Continue with GoogleContinue with FacebookLoading subscription options Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.

SubscribeRegister