Politician Ken Paxton Once Faced Criminal Allegations — Trump Endorses Him Anyways

Republican politicos who had eyes on the US Senate run-off in Texas are in a furor after President Donald Trump endorsed an old buddy of his, Ken Paxton, rather than the GOP darling and frontrunner and incumbent, John Cornyn.

It threw the race into disarray as Paxton and Cornyn face off in a primary run-off as they compete to clinch the GOP nomination for the midterm elections in November.

But Paxton has made national news before, and it's all due to some crimes he was alleged to have engaged in. Paxton never faced the music for those alleged crimes, but you might be surprised to find out how he got out of trouble. Or rather, which President he walked free under.

Here's what we know.

Paxton is a divisive figure, perhaps mostly because of his close association with Trump. He serves as the Texas Attorney General and faced allegations of corruption, which tainted his reputation.

However, he was never prosecuted for those crimes. But he didn't walk free under Trump's two administrations. Rather, he walked free under President Joe Biden.

AP News reports that the Justice Department under Biden declined to press charges as the former President's single term wrapped up in the final weeks.

The outlet reports "Two people familiar with the matter, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, confirmed the department’s decision to decline to prosecute. Though the date of the decision was not immediately clear, it was made in the final weeks of President Joe Biden’s presidency, one of the people said."

Allegedly, the outlet reports, prosecutors were not confident that they would get a conviction. Additionally, no politically appointed officials were involved in the decision to pass on pressing charges against the Texas AG.

So, what exactly were those crimes?

Paxton's alleged crimes included corruption, which were stunningly reported by his own aides, the outlet notes.

Additionally, he has faced charges of felony securities fraud charges along with an "investigation by the Texas state bar over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election."

This is exactly the kind of candidate you would expect a President with flagging approval ratings (via The Independent) to steer clear of. But Trump, as he nears the midpoint of his second and final term in office, seems to be gathering his loyalists more closely.

Having Paxton, a guaranteed pro-Trump voice, in the Senate could be a boon to the embattled president.

Trump's endorsement of Paxton flew in the face of the GOP's effort to secure incumbent Cornyn's return to Washington, according to AP News.

In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate."

It remains to be seen if Trump's endorsement will move mountains for Paxton as it has for others in the past, but both politicians are likely crossing their fingers as a heated midterm election approaches and every friendly voice is a boon to the President's agenda.