Texas AG Ken Paxton's wife files for divorce 'on biblical grounds'
Texas state Senator Angela Paxton announced that she has filed for divorce from her husband, Texas Attorney General and GOP U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton.
Angela, a Republican who represents a town in the Dallas region, accused her husband, a high-profile conservative and longtime ally of President Donald Trump, of adultery, according to court filings obtained by The Texas Newsroom. The couple has lived apart since June 2024, according to the divorce petition.
“I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation,” she wrote on X on July 10. “But in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage.”
Paste BN has reached out to the court clerk's office for Collin County, Texas, where the divorce petition was filed, to obtain a copy.
In his announcement about the news on X, Ken Paxton blamed "political attacks and public scrutiny” for the divorce filing. He did not address the adultery allegation.
"I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren," he wrote on X. "I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time."
Who is Ken Paxton?
The Texas attorney general, who took office in 2015, has vigorously defended several of the Trump administration's policies, including immigrant deportations and strict border policies.
The attorney general has faced a series of controversies over the years.
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged him with securities fraud in 2016 before a judge threw out the charges, and state prosecutors pursued the case for years until the charges were dropped in 2024 as part of a pretrial agreement.
He was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives on bribery charges in 2023, but the state Senate acquitted him in an impeachment trial that featured dramatic testimony about his alleged extramarital affair. (His wife recused herself from voting in the trial.)
The attorney general dodged another legal entanglement during the waning days of former President Joe Biden's administration when the Justice Department ended a criminal corruption investigation without filing charges. He also survived a lawsuit from the State Bar of Texas over his efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election.
In April, he announced he would challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in the 2026 primary for Cornyn's Senate seat.
The attorney general has largely led the incumbent Cornyn in polls thus far. It's unclear how or whether the divorce proceedings will impact the Senate race.
Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez. Contact Aysha Bagchi at abagchi@usatoday.com. Follow her on X at @AyshaBagchi and on Bluesky at @ayshabagchi.bsky.social.