Dont ComplyProPublica and The Texas Tribune report that the Paxtons' Esther Blind Trust put $600,000 into Scott Sherman's construction-materials business about four years after Sherman completed a federal sentence for mortgage fraud. Citing impeachment-investigation records and text messages, the outlets report Ken Paxton knew of at least some trust investments, and that Wildcatter companies wired the trust more than $83,000 in early 2023. Angela Paxton, who sat on a Wildcatter Materials advisory board, voted for a bill letting the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality disregard certain repeat complaints. Ethics experts told the outlets she should have recused herself. Her spokesperson said the role carried no decision-making authority, she was unaware of Sherman's history, and recusal was not required. Ken Paxton did not answer detailed questions. No charge or official finding over the investment is reported.
Why it matters
Blind trusts are meant to separate officials' finances from their public duties, and the reported links raise questions about whether that separation held. Ken Paxton is the state's chief anti-fraud enforcer and a U.S. Senate candidate.
These are unproven claims, and everyone named is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Researched with AI assistance from the sources listed here and reviewed under our methodology.