Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Wife Reveals "Recent Discoveries"
She files for divorce “on biblical grounds” and “in light of recent discoveries.”
This is the story about a very religious political couple in a very religious state named Texas, which is famous for stripping away the rights of women and urging its citizens to send each other to prison for attempting to preserve one’s bodily autonomy.
The religious couple in this case is Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Texas State Senator Angela Paxton, the latter of whom is filing for divorce on account of “recent discoveries.”1 Angela made her decision based on what she calls “Biblical Grounds.”
Bless her sweet heart.
I understand this well. I make many decisions based on Biblical grounds, too. Once again, Waffle House fighting comes to mind, among other things.
In a way, their brawl is an extension of a larger, longer-term battle between pasty white Texans hankerin’ to get the best of each other.
Husband Ken is behind much of the state’s most draconian policies on behalf of extreme religious nutters, which is the primary reason we should pick at his scabs when he’s wounded.
It’s okay to be religious. Many people are, and you hear nothing about it. They go to church, do nice things for people, and even volunteer to help people recover from floods.
Not Paxton. He has been the motorhead of a full frontal Christo-nationalist assault on human rights for years. He’s also a crook.
Some of the highlights of Paxton’s illustrious career, according to the Texas Tribune:2
Paxton has fought criminal securities fraud charges for most of his tenure
Top employees accused Paxton of bribery and abusing his office
Whistleblowers sued Paxton, claiming he retaliated against them
Paxton tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in other states
He was also recently under investigation by the FBI for corruption involving a wealthy donor.3
During the final days of the Biden Administration (also known as the last days of American democracy), Paxton settled a seven-year Justice Department investigation against him by paying the DOJ $300,000 to leave him alone.4 In that case, he was accused of bilking investors.
Before settling with the DOJ, he was impeached by fellow Republicans, but emerged from the battle stronger than ever, in a sense, by finding (or buying, more likely) enough votes for acquittal.
He’s now trying to unseat conservative but not quite Ted Cruz-level crazy U.S. Senator John Cornyn in a primary. Because Paxton’s a crook, and because he has been seen on multiple occasions extending his long, snakelike tongue along the turd-encrusted bottoms of the Trumpenfuhrer’s golf shoes, you get one guess who is favored to win that battle.
Paxton was best known to Biden, not for his indictment, but for being a serial filer of lawsuits against the Biden administration. He filed so many that he bragged about it in a taxpayer-paid propaganda piece on the state’s website:5
The Supreme Court, ironically, probably put a halt to the kinds of frivolous lawsuits and the attempts of state officials like Paxton to ask the courts for injunctions against regulations they don’t like with its recent decision regarding birthrights.6
For Republicans, that’s a problem for another day.
Paxton’s evangelical wife, meanwhile, has been dealing with her husband’s spiritual rot for quite some time.
Specifically, according to the Texas Tribune:7
An updated version of a lawsuit filed by the four whistleblowers claims that Austin real estate developer Nate Paul helped Paxton remodel his house and gave a job to a woman with whom Paxton allegedly had an affair.
In return, the aides allege, Paxton used his office to help Paul’s business interests, investigate Paul’s adversaries and help settle a lawsuit.
Fun story: One day, a process server tried to serve one of many subpoenas to Paxton while he was at home. I don’t know if these guys have to queue up or what.
Anyway, the subpoena was for a lawsuit filed by nonprofits in response to Texas’s fascist tattletale anti-abortion law.8
The story reads like a bad criminal comedy. The server, Ernesto Martin Herrera, described his efforts in an affidavit9 to the court, which I’ve condensed, edited for grammar, and annotated. The story is real, the annotations, of course, are mine.
I’ve even given the story a title!
The process server
“I could see a silhouette of a man walking in the living room area.”
Probably sneaking around in his own house. Go on, Ernesto:
“I knocked on the front door. The door had clear glass in it and I could clearly see inside the house. A female got up from the couch and started walking to the door.”
Good chance it wasn’t Mrs. Paxton, based on what we now know. Very short, tight skirt, maybe? High heels? Continue, my friend:
“I saw Mr. Paxton enter the room behind her. “
Again, knowing what we know, it was probably to grab her from behind, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, K?
“When he saw me, he turned around and went back to where he came from.”
He knows all the process servers by face, I’m sure.
“I recognized him as Ken Paxton from the many pictures available on the internet.”
And, somehow, in none of them is he wearing an orange jumpsuit. I know. I’ve looked. What else, Ernesto?
“The female opened the door…”
Wait, did you confirm that this is the missus?
“…and I explained to her that I was trying to deliver important legal documents to Mr. Paxton.”
Okay, lemme stop you right there, Ernesto. Rule number one about Paxton Place. Saying you wish to deliver legal papers is a sure way to get a door slammed in your face. Anyway, let’s hear more:
“She went back towards the area where Mr. Paxton had gone and she came back telling me that he was on the phone.”
Prediction, Ernesto. This is going to be a very long phone call. Probably to his mistress.
“I offered to wait for him to be off the phone.”
Do you mean, get off during the phone conversation with his mistress? No? Okay, go on again, please:
“She said that he was in a hurry to leave.”
Well of course. He just got off the phone with his mistress. More please:
“I left my business card with her. She identified herself as Angela. I observed a Black Chevrolet truck parked in the driveway…I went back to my car and waited per my client’s instructions.
You’ve seen a John Wick movie or three, haven’t you Ernesto? Oh, wait. You said you waited per your client’s instructions, not for your client’s instructions.
Anyway, Ernesto waited, like a good process server. He continues with events that transpire about an hour later:
“I observed a black Tahoe arrive at the home.”
Ruh-roh. The Pax Man is calling in some shady bad guys. Probably Russians. Get out!
“The vehicle backed into the driveway and the driver stayed inside.”
Okay, now I’m officially on edge. Call Jack Reacher, maybe?
“At approximately 9:40 am, the garage door opened up and I saw Mr. Paxton exiting the garage. I walked up the driveway approaching Mr. Paxton and called him by his name.”
Not “Pax Man” I hope. That would be stupid.
“As soon as he saw me and heard me call his name out, he turned around and RAN back inside the house through the same door in the garage.”
He does not want what you have, Ernesto.
“Angela came out and opened the driver's side and rear side door behind the driver of the truck.”
Wait. You’re telling me someone else drove a black SUV to the house to pick them up? He was wearing bad guy shades, too, I’ll bet. And an earpiece.
“She then got inside the truck and started it, leaving the rear door behind the driver's side open. A few minutes later I saw Mr. Paxton run from the door inside the garage towards the rear door behind the driver's side.”
Awwww! That’s so romantic. It’s like an old-fashioned Texas prom date!
“I approached the truck, and loudly called him by his name and stated that I had court documents for him.”
Can’t a guy go on a date in Texas without being harassed by process servers?
“Mr. Paxton ignored me and kept heading for the truck.”
He seems awfully eager to get into the truck with this woman. Are you sure it’s his wife?
“After determining that Mr. Paxton was not going to take the subpoenas from my hand, I stated that I was serving him with legal documents and was leaving them on the ground where he could get them.”
That’s what all the other process servers do at Paxton Place, Ernesto. Good job!
“I then placed the documents on the ground beside the truck. Service was completed at 9:50 am. He got in the truck leaving the documents on the ground, and then both vehicles left.”
Wait, both vehicles? The first one, too? If you ask me, you’re lucky you’re in one piece, Ernesto. Thanks for your service.
The subpoena was later disallowed by a Texas court. Because of course it was.
No date yet on when the divorce proceedings begin. Either way, husband Ken is likely to be the next Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate for Texas.
Thanks for reading!
Footnotes
Goodman, J David. 2025. “Angela Paxton Files for Divorce from Ken Paxton, Texas’ Attorney General.” Nytimes.com. The New York Times. July 10, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/us/ken-paxton-wife-divorce.html via the JavaScript Disabled New York Times News Service.
Guilbeau, Julia, and María Méndez. 2023. “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton: What You Need to Know.” The Texas Tribune. May 24, 2023. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/24/ken-paxton-attorney-general-investigations-lawsuits/.
I don’t know the current status of this, but given who is in control of the Justice Department these days, I doubt Paxton has much to worry about.
“How the Criminal Case against Texas AG Ken Paxton Abruptly Ended after Nearly a Decade of Delays.” 2024. AP News. March 26, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/paxton-indictment-texas-d5e57fc6cd062c995ced91e9d2542199.
“Attorney General Ken Paxton Files 100th Lawsuit against Biden-Harris Administration.” 2023. Texas Attorney General. 2023. https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-files-100th-lawsuit-against-biden-harris-administration.
“In Birthright Citizenship Decision, the Supreme Court Expanded Trump’s Power - American Immigration Council.” 2025. American Immigration Council. July 2, 2025. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/in-birthright-citizenship-decision-the-supreme-court-expanded-trumps-power/.
Samuels, Alex, and Kate McGee. 2021. “Former Ken Paxton Aides Allege Texas AG Bribed by Political Donor.” The Texas Tribune. February 11, 2021. https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/11/ken-paxton-whistleblowers-texas-bribe/.
Douglas, Erin, and Eleanor Klibanoff. 2022. “Texas Abortion Funds Fear Jail Time in Post-Roe Legal Turmoil.” The Texas Tribune. June 29, 2022. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/29/texas-abortion-funds-legal/.
I’m amazed that ANY woman wants Ken Paxton. Either to marry, or to cheat with.
The plea for privacy from a man stripping away everyone's privacy is just the cherry on top, ain't it?