Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has defeated Senator John Cornyn in a Republican run-off primary on Tuesday night, May 26. The stunning contest set a record for the most expensive Senate primary campaign in US history.Ken Paxton controversies: What is the Texas Republican accused of? Texas AG wins Republican runoff for US Senate (Photographer: Mark Felix/Bloomberg) (Bloomberg)Paxton secured Donald Trump’s endorsement just a week out from the runoff election. He has a strong following in the state’s Republican grassroots.Paxton previously thanked Trump for the endorsement, writing on Facebook, “Thank you, @DonaldTrump! Polls are now open. Bring five friends with you. Post your photos to remind Texans that today is election day! Let's work together to make Texas great.”Read More | Ken Paxton wife and children: Meet Angela Paxton and their four kidsPaxon has been embroiled in numerous high-profile controversies throughout his tenure, including accusations of bribery, abuse of office, securities fraud, and the fallout of his 2023 impeachment. Here’s a look at Paxton’s controversies.Ken Paxton’s controversies2008: Paxton was a Texas House member representing McKinney in 2008 when he and another lawmaker allegedly had investments in a company that got millions from state contracts, that Paxton had voted on through state spending bills, per the Associated Press. Paxton allegedly profited from the contracts that Watchguard, a video equipment company, secured while he was in office. The allegations came to light after a competing company sued, claiming the contract bidding was rigged in Watchdog’s favor.2013: Back in 2013, Paxton was accused of stealing another lawyer’s pen. The $1,000 Montblac pen was a gift to attorney Joe Joplin from his wife. Joplin realized it was missing and asked a sheriff to review the security footage, which revealed that Paxton had pocketed Joplin’s pen, the sheriff told the News. Paxton later returned the pen to Joplin. On being asked by the Dallas Morning News what he thought had happened, Joplin said, “You can surmise that.”2015: The year Paxton assumed the office of attorney general kicked off a years-long legal saga over securities fraud felony charges. In the summer of 2015, Paxton was indicted over accusations of defrauding investors, according to Chron. He was accused of encouraging other legislators to invest in McKinney-based company Servergy in 2011 without telling them he would make a commission. He allegedly misrepresented himself as an investor in the company, which was later charged with fraud by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2016.2020: In October 2020, a group of conservative attorneys who worked in Paxton’s office reported him to the FBI after accusing him of bribery and abuse of office, according to KVUE. The FBI began investigating claims that Paxton had misused his office to aid friend and political donor Nate Paul, a wealthy Austin real estate developer. In 2024, the Justice Department quietly declined to continue pursuing the case, per the Associated Press.2020: At least four of the attorneys who worked in Paxton’s office were fired after reporting him to the FBI. They then sued Paxton for violating the Texas Whistleblower Act. The lawsuit went to the Texas Supreme Court in 2023 before Paxton agreed to pay the attorneys $3.3 million and also issue an apology, as reported by the Texas Tribune.2022: The State Bar of Texas sued Paxton for professional misconduct after he brought a lawsuit against Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin over discredited election fraud claims back in 2020. Paxton’s lawsuit was thrown out by the US Supreme Court, which said Texas lacked the standing to sue other states over their election procedures.2023: After the mounting FBI investigation and whistleblower lawsuit, the Texas House investigation committee unveiled 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton in May 2023 based on the abuse of office and bribery charges. The probe revolved around Paxton misusing his office to aid with Nate Paul’s legal issues, according to the Texas Tribune. The House voted 121-33 to impeach him, and he was suspended from office, marking only the third time in history the legislative body has impeached an official. A two-week Senate trial was held in September of 2023, and Paxton was acquitted of all charges. He was restored to office after none of the articles met the 21 votes necessary.2025: Two weeks after Angela Paxton announced that she had decided to file for divorce from Paxon, an Associated Press investigation revealed that the Paxtons had been claiming three different homes (one in Dallas and two in Austin) as their primary residence. This saved them thousands of dollars in mortgage loan payments. Angela said on social media that she was filing for divorce after “recent discoveries,” after years of her husband being publicly accused of infidelity. According to AP’s probe, Paxton was also simultaneously collecting tax breaks on two different homes in 2018, via a homestead exemption that is only meant for a single, primary residence. Other properties he owns were listed on rental sites, in violation of each residence’s mortgage.