Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his now-estranged wife, State Senator Angela Paxton, declared multiple homes as their primary residences when applying for home loans, raising questions among experts about mortgage fraud, according to new reports.
The Paxtons have long resided in a suburban Dallas home, but also have mortgages on two properties in Austin, the Associated Press reports. Mortgage documents reveal they have declared all three of these houses as their primary residences, according to the outlet.
Declaring three homes as primary residences could have saved them money because interest rates on primary homes are lower than those on secondary homes, the Associated Press reports. The Paxtons could have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to The New York Times, which also reported on the documents.
It is a crime to knowingly report false statements on mortgage documents, but the cases can be difficult to prove. Experts told the Associated Press it’s possible that the Paxtons’s lenders prepared the documents and the couple did not carefully review them before signing.
“You have to show they actively knew they were lying and they knew what they were doing,” James C. Spindler, a corporate and securities law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, told the Times. “That’s a high bar.”
Arif Lawji, a Texas real estate attorney, argued that the declarations would be “actionable” if Paxton “filled out lender documents knowing that they were false.”
“He’s the chief enforcement officer,” Lawji told the Associated Press. “You have to be accountable for stuff you do that’s wrong.”
Mortgage fraud cases are typically settled out of court through penalties, including bank fees, legal experts told the Times.
The Independent has contacted the Paxtons through their respective offices for comment.
These reports come two weeks after Angela Paxton filed for divorce and accused her husband of adultery in court documents. The affair first came to light two years ago during Paxton’s impeachment trial in the Texas Senate. Paxton was accused of misconduct, corruption and bribery, but the Texas Senate acquitted him of all 16 articles of impeachment.
Ken Paxton, a MAGA figurehead, is now running for the U.S. Senate. He’ll face off against incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn in the upcoming primary.
Angela Paxton shared a statement on X earlier this month explaining their separation.
“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,” she said. “I move forward with complete confidence that God is always working everything together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.”
Ken Paxton shared a response minutes later.
“After facing the pressures of countless political attacks and public scrutiny, Angela and I have decided to start a new chapter in our lives,” he wrote.
“I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren,” he added. “I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time.”
The couple met as students and have been married since 1986.
