Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general and GOP U.S. Senate candidate who has been embroiled in a series of controversies in recent years, confirmed that he and his wife, Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, are divorcing.
Angela Paxton, a Republican who represents the state’s 8th senate district, announced the news on X July 10.
“Today, after 38 years of marriage, I filed for divorce on biblical grounds,” she wrote. “I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation. 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.”
Ken Paxton released his own statement on X shortly thereafter, in which he attributed “the pressures of countless political attacks and public scrutiny” for the filing.
Angela accused her husband of adultery, according to court filings obtained by The Texas Tribune. The divorce petition also says the couple has lived apart since June 2024, according to The Texas Tribune.
USA TODAY has reached out to the court clerk’s office for Collin County, Texas, where the divorce petition was filed, to obtain a copy.
Here’s what to know about Ken Paxton, a high-profile conservative and longtime ally of President Donald Trump.
Ken Paxton divorce: Texas AG’s wife files for divorce ‘on biblical grounds’
Who is Ken Paxton?
Ken Paxton is the incumbent attorney general of Texas, a role he has held since 2015. Before that, Paxton was a Texas state representative from 2003 to 2013, and a state senator for two years.
In April, Ken Paxton launched a bid to challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in the 2026 primary for Cornyn’s Senate seat.
Paxton graduated from Baylor University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in business administration. He also received a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and subsequently practiced as an attorney before his foray into politics, according to the Texas attorney general website.
The Texas attorney general met his wife, Angela Paxton, while they were both students at Baylor, per his website. They had been married for 38 years before she filed for divorce and share four children and two grandchildren.
Throughout his time as Texas’ attorney general, Ken Paxton has been a staunch Trump ally, supporting many of the administration’s policies, including immigrant deportations and strict border policies.
Trump has called Paxton “a very talented guy” and a “great attorney general.”
Ken Paxton controversies: impeachment, alleged adultery
Ken Paxton has faced his share of controversies over the years, notably including a 2023 impeachment trial. He was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives on bribery charges, but the state Senate later acquitted him.
The trial in part stemmed from 2020 allegations from several of Paxton’s former aides, who alleged abuse of office, bribery and other crimes. Some of the aides later filed a wrongful termination lawsuit, prompting a Texas House investigation into a request Paxton made for the state Legislature to fund a $3.3 million settlement to resolve the lawsuit.
The impeachment trial also saw dramatic testimony about his alleged extramarital affair. It’s unclear whether the adultery reportedly cited in Angela Paxton’s divorce petition is related.
In a separate case, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Ken Paxton with securities fraud in 2016. State prosecutors pursued the case for years until the charges were dropped in 2024 as part of a pretrial agreement.
Some of Ken Paxton’s other legal entanglements include a since-tossed lawsuit from the State Bar of Texas over his efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election, and a federal probe into criminal corruption.
Contributing: Kayla Jimenez, Aysha Bagchi, Davis Winkie, USA TODAY
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].
