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July 29th, 2015 Austin, Texas USA: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton testifies in front of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, just a few days before a grand jury indicts him on three felonies.Two charges of first-degree securities fra

COLLIN COUNTY, Texas – Texas AG Ken Paxton has filed in a district court to try to keep his divorce records private. 

The attorney general’s brief of opposition, filed in Collin County earlier this week, argues that the motions filed by numerous media outlets to unseal the records are “intrusive.”

Paxton wants divorce records private

The latest:

Paxton filed the brief in the Collin County 468th District Court on Tuesday. 

The filing opposes the motions made by the Campaign for Accountability(“CfA”) and Dow Jones & Company Inc., The Washington Post, Hearst Newspapers, LLC, Pro Publica Inc., The Texas Lawbook, The Texas Observer, The Texas Tribune, and The Texas Newsroom. 

The media outlets and the watchdog group previously filed to have the Paxtons’ divorce records unsealed, saying the matter was of the “public’s overriding interest” in knowing information about their elected officials.

Paxton argued Tuesday that the motions are, rather, out of “desire to invade and publicize the most sensitive aspects of the Paxtons’ marital and private lives.”

Request to unseal Paxton divorce docs

The backstory:

Campaign for Accountability filed the motion at the beginning of September, noting courts “have routinely unsealed records in similar cases involving elected officials.

The group contends that reports that the Paxtons claimed three homes as primary residences for homestead exemptions and that Ken Paxton may have misrepresented some properties on financial disclosure forms as another reason the records should be made public.

Angela Paxton filed to have the divorce sealed just days after it was ordinally filed.

Angela Paxton files for divorce

In July, Angela Paxton filed for divorce on “biblical grounds” and accused Ken Paxton of adultery. She said the couple had not lived together for more than a year before the filing.

Ken Paxton said the couple were starting a new chapter in their lives.

Angela Paxton was elected to the Texas Senate in 2019. The McKinney Republican represents a portion of North Texas that includes most of Collin County and all of Hunt and Rains counties.

Ken Paxton controversies

Ken Paxton’s tenure as attorney general has been marked with turmoil leading up to his impeachment trial in 2023, in which he was acquitted. 

He was accused of having an affair during that trial, and the alleged mistress was deemed “unavailable to testify.”

Paxton’s felony securities fraud case was dismissed in August after he completed a pretrial diversion program. He was accused of selling securities without a license and without disclosing to buyers that he was being paid.

Paxton challenges Cornyn for Senate

Paxton announced in April his intent to run against Cornyn, challenging the former Republican minority whip, who also previously served as Texas AG. 

The attorney general openly considered the possibility in an interview shortly after he was acquitted in his 2023 impeachment trial.

Prior to becoming attorney general, Paxton was a member of the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate.

Paxton will be allowed to continue as attorney general while running for Senate.

The Source: Information in this report comes from a Collin County court filing and previous FOX Local coverage. 

Ken PaxtonCollin CountyTexasTexas Politics