From The Texas Tribune · Zach Despart · · 3m
Ken Paxton's 1,000 Trips with State Security
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took nearly 1,000 trips with taxpayer-funded security, costing $3.3 million.
In brief
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took nearly 1,000 trips with taxpayer-funded security, costing $3.3 million. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton used state security for nearly 1,000 trips, costing $3.3 million, with only 1 in 6 trips having a documented business purpose. Originally reported by The Texas Tribune.
Paxton suspended after impeachment
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was suspended from office for over three months after being impeached on charges of abusing his office for personal gain.
Paxton took 17 trips during suspension
Paxton took at least 17 trips over three months, including to resort destinations Park City, Utah, and Vail, Colorado.
State police joined Paxton on trips
State police joined him each time, costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars for trips unrelated to his job as attorney general.
Paxton's security costs exceed reports
Since assuming office in 2015, Paxton has taken nearly 1,000 trips with a state-funded security detail, costing $3.3 million.
Few trips have documented business purpose
ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found only 1 in 6 of Paxton's trips had a listed business purpose.
Paxton's travel to Hawaii
Paxton visited a small town in Hawaii months before his family's blind trust bought land there.
Paxton's Utah properties
Paxton owns or co-owns 15 properties with a market value of about $11 million, including four in Utah.
Paxton's Florida properties
Paxton purchased two homes in Ocala and a townhome in Dunedin, Florida, between 2021 and 2022.
Paxton's Oklahoma properties
Paxton purchased a $1.5 million vacation lodge in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, in 2022.
Paxton's Utah condo purchases
Paxton bought four condominiums at the Black Desert Resort in Utah in 2025 and 2026.
Paxton's security costs compared to Abbott
Paxton's security costs averaged $24,300 per trip, compared to Greg Abbott's $7,400 per month.
Paxton's travel during suspension
Paxton visited St. George, Utah, during his suspension in August 2023, where he later bought a condo.
Paxton's campaign travel
Paxton traveled with security to tape Tucker Carlson's show two days after being acquitted in the impeachment trial.
Paxton's trust and security
Paxton set up a trust with his estranged wife, State Sen. Angela Paxton, who filed for divorce in 2024.
Paxton's travel without business purpose
Over 800 of Paxton's trips lack a documented business purpose, raising questions about his workload.
Paxton's ethics concerns
Experts say Paxton's extensive travel without documented business purposes raises ethical concerns about misuse of public funds.
The one thing
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton used state security for nearly 1,000 trips, costing $3.3 million, with only 1 in 6 trips having a documented business purpose.
