The Paxton Record
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Senior aides reported Paxton to the FBI

Ken Paxton & Nate Paul

Who Is Nate Paul?

Nate Paul is an Austin-based real estate investor and developer who donated to Ken Paxton's political campaigns. His company, World Class Holdings, was under FBI investigation for financial irregularities when the abuse-of-office allegations against Paxton surfaced.

The Allegations

In October 2020, all eight of Paxton's most senior staff members simultaneously filed a criminal complaint with federal authorities. They alleged that Paxton had used the power of the Attorney General's office to benefit Paul — including intervening in legal matters involving Paul's companies, hiring an outside attorney at Paul's request, and issuing legal opinions that benefited Paul's business interests.

The Whistleblower Fallout

The eight aides who reported Paxton were fired or forced out of the AG's office. They filed a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit under the Texas Whistleblower Act. In April 2025, a Travis County judge ruled in favor of four of the whistleblowers and awarded $6.6 million in damages. Paxton dropped the appeal in July 2025. Texas taxpayers pay the bill.

Nate Paul's Federal Conviction

Paul was federally indicted in 2023 on multiple bank fraud and false-statement counts. In January 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to a financial institution. The remaining 11 counts were dismissed. He was sentenced to one day in custody (time served), four months of home confinement, five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Why It Matters

Paul's guilty plea validated what Paxton's senior staff tried to warn about: their boss was using state power to assist a man committing federal crimes. The person at the center of the allegations turned out to be a convicted federal felon — and the whistleblowers who raised the alarm were fired for it.

Sources

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