Texas judge orders Attorney General Ken Paxton’s divorce records unsealed amid heated Senate primary

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) – Court documents detailing the divorce of Republican U.S. Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, were released on Friday by a judge’s order, months after he filed it citing “biblical grounds.”

The initial filing indicated that Angela Paxton had filed for divorce on the grounds that Ken Paxton had committed adultery, but no further details were included. She previously mentioned “recent findings” when announcing the filing on social media in July. In a separate filing, Ken Paxton denied the allegations in the divorce petition. Future files will also be made public after the Paxtons and a coalition of media outlets reach an agreement.

“This is a victory, I think, for the American people and the voters of Texas,” Tyler Bexley, an attorney for the media intervenors, told reporters after the judge ordered the documents unsealed.

The divorce and surrounding speculation have fueled attacks against Paxton in one of the nation’s most heated Republican primaries as he seeks to unseat Sen. John Cornyn. With the Senate primary set for March 3, it remains to be seen whether the divorce details will resonate with voters. Despite years of controversy, the three-term attorney general race remains competitive, with Rep. Also includes Wesley Hunt.

The divorce comes after 38 years of marriage, in which Angela Paxton supported her husband through a series of legal troubles, including state and federal corruption investigations. A state securities fraud indictment against Ken Paxton was dismissed in 2024 after a plea deal in which he agreed to pay restitution and complete community service, and the Justice Department dropped a federal corruption investigation earlier this year.

Angela Paxton also stood by Ken Paxton during that impeachment trial, which publicly exposed the extramarital affair. The 2023 impeachment trial ended in his acquittal.

Paxton’s support in Texas has remained strong amid a decade of legal trouble. He won re-election in 2022 by about 10 percentage points.

Paxton launched his bid to oust Cornyn in April and has since drawn attacks from the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, with some in the party worried that Paxton could win the GOP primary, complicate the general election and force national Republicans to spend heavily to hold the seat. On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico are facing off in their party’s primary.

Groups supporting Cornyn have spent more than $21 million on television ads this year, according to AdImpact, to promote the four-term senator and attack Paxton.

“What Ken Paxton has put his family through is truly despicable and despicable,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Joanna Rodriguez said in July. “No one should have to put up with Angela Paxton, and we pray for her as she chooses to stand up for herself and her family during this difficult time.”

Paxton has been a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, while Cornyn has at times drawn criticism within his own party for working with Democrats. Trump’s support is expected to be the deciding factor in Texas, which he won by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024. Trump has not yet endorsed the race.

Judge Robert Brotherton approved a deal Friday to release the records, which were sealed after Angela Paxton requested them shortly after she filed them. Another judge signed an order agreeing to seal the records. In the filing after media outlets and the nonprofit Campaign for Accountability intervened to release the documents, Ken Paxton said he was opposed to releasing the documents publicly.

Bexley said Friday that the media outlets he represents believe voters have a right to know about the case “as they make decisions in the upcoming election.”

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