Politics · October 23, 2026
Ken Paxton’s Ties to Convicted Fraudster Exposed via Blind Trust
Part of: Texas Senate: Paxton vs. Talarico →
Recent reports based on 2023 impeachment records reveal that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Senator Angela Paxton invested $600,000 into a business venture run by Scott Sherman, a man previously convicted of federal mortgage fraud. The investment was channeled through a blind trust intended to separate the Paxtons' public duties from their private finances. However, investigative records suggest the trust was not truly blind, as the Paxtons remained aware of the transactions. Furthermore, Sherman's companies reportedly wired tens of thousands of dollars to the Paxtons during a period when those businesses faced significant local tax debts and Ken Paxton was undergoing impeachment proceedings.
Read the original coverage
- The New RepublicMBFC: Left
Ken Paxton’s Ties to Convicted Fraudster Exposed via Blind Trust
Read at The New Republic ↗ - ProPublicaMBFC: Left-Center
Ken Paxton’s Trust Gave a $600,000 Infusion to a Convicted Fraudster’s Company
Read at ProPublica ↗ - Texas TribuneMBFC: Left-Center
Ken and Angela Paxton invested $600,000 in a convicted fraudster’s business - The Texas Tribune
Read at Texas Tribune ↗
Reported across the spectrum
- Ken and Angela Paxton invested $600,000 in a business run by Scott Sherman.
- Scott Sherman is a convicted fraudster who served a federal prison sentence for mortgage fraud.
- The investment was made through a blind trust established by the Paxtons.
- The information surfaced from previously unreleased records related to Ken Paxton's 2023 impeachment investigation.
- Sherman's companies (Wildcatter Sand Services and Grayson County Sand and Gravel) accumulated tax debts to local governments.
- Wildcatter companies wired tens of thousands of dollars to the Paxtons while they were facing impeachment.
- Ken Paxton was acquitted during his 2023 impeachment trial.
Reported by only some outlets
- Ken Paxton is currently the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in a race against Democrat James Talarico.
- Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, criticized the dealings for undermining Paxton's role as a law enforcement official.
- The blind trust was intended to prevent overlap between personal investments and official actions.
Left-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
highlight the irony of Paxton's 'fight fraud' public rhetoric compared to his private financial ties with a convicted fraudster, emphasizing that his business activities 'fly in the face' of his public statements.
Right-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
Where coverage diverges
Single-perspective coverage; cross-spectrum comparison limited.
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