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'''Warren Kenneth Paxton, Jr.''', known as '''Ken Paxton''' (born December 23, 1962), is an [[United States|American]] [[lawyer]] and [[politician]] who has been since January 2015 the [[Republican Party|Republican]] attorney general of his adopted state of [[Texas]]. He was born in Minot, [[North Dakota]], to a military family that lived at times in five states. He graduated from [[Baylor University]] in [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], Texas, and the [[University of Virginia]] School of Law in Charlottesville, [[Virginia]].

'''Warren Kenneth Paxton, Jr.''', known as '''Ken Paxton''' (born December 23, 1962), is an [[United States|American]] [[lawyer]] and [[politician]] who has been since January 2015 the [[Republican Party|Republican]] attorney general of his adopted state of [[Texas]].

 

 

Paxton was born in Minot, [[North Dakota]], to a military family that lived at times in five states. He graduated from [[Baylor University]] in [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], Texas, and the [[University of Virginia]] School of Law in Charlottesville, [[Virginia]].

 

He resides in McKinney in Collin County with his wife, [[Angela Paxton]], whom he met at Baylor and who is also his political advisor (Angela currently serves as a Texas State Senator).  The couple have four children and are members of [[Prestonwood Baptist Church]] in Plano.

==Career==

==Career==

In 2014, Paxton won election as attorney general with support from [[conservative]]s and the [[Tea Party Movement]]. In the Republican primary, he defeated state Representative Dan H. Branch of [[Dallas]], a director of the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies at [[Southern Methodist University]], named for [[John Tower]], Texas first popularly-elected Republican senator, who began his career as a staunch conservative but is now considered an icon of [[Moderate Republican]]s.

In 2014, Paxton won election as attorney general with support from [[conservative]]s and the [[Tea Party Movement]]. In the Republican primary, he defeated state Representative Dan H. Branch of [[Dallas]], a director of the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies at [[Southern Methodist University]], named for [[John Tower]], Texas first popularly-elected Republican senator, who began his career as a staunch conservative but is now considered an icon of [[Moderate Republican]]s.

Before he became attorney general, Paxton previously served for ten years in the Texas House of Representatives and two years in the Texas Senate, representing Collin County, north of Dallas. He resides in McKinney in Collin County with his wife, [[Angela Paxton]], whom he met at Baylor and who is also his political advisor.

Before he became attorney general, Paxton previously served for ten years in the Texas House of Representatives and two years in the Texas Senate, representing Collin County, north of Dallas.

During much of his tenure as attorney general, Paxton has been sidetracked by personal legal  matters. He faces a fraud trial in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] in December 2017 for having allegedly failed to inform those investing in the technology firm Servergy that he was receiving a commission on sales. At the time, Paxton was still a member of the Texas House of Representatives. The case will be presided over by a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] judge, Robert Johnson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Texas-AG-Paxton-to-stand-trial-in-December-judge-11549166.php|author=Cindy George and Andrea Zelinski|title=Texas AG Paxton to stand trial in December, judge rules|publisher=''The Houston Chronicle''|date=July 27, 2017|accessdate=October 1, 2017}}</ref> Meanwhile, a Security and Exchange Commission complaint against Paxton has been twice dismissed, most recently in March 2017, on the grounds that the attorney general had "no plausible legal duty" to inform investors that he would earn a commission if they purchased stock in a technical company that Paxton represented.<ref name=december>Andrea Zelinski, "Paxton's SEC charge dismissed: No 'legal duty' to disclose commission," ''San Antonio Express-News'', March 3, 2017, p. A3.</ref>

During much of his tenure as attorney general, Paxton has been sidetracked by personal legal  matters. He faces a fraud trial in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] in December 2017 for having allegedly failed to inform those investing in the technology firm Servergy that he was receiving a commission on sales. At the time, Paxton was still a member of the Texas House of Representatives. The case will be presided over by a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] judge, Robert Johnson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Texas-AG-Paxton-to-stand-trial-in-December-judge-11549166.php|author=Cindy George and Andrea Zelinski|title=Texas AG Paxton to stand trial in December, judge rules|publisher=''The Houston Chronicle''|date=July 27, 2017|accessdate=October 1, 2017}}</ref> Meanwhile, a Security and Exchange Commission complaint against Paxton has been twice dismissed, most recently in March 2017, on the grounds that the attorney general had "no plausible legal duty" to inform investors that he would earn a commission if they purchased stock in a technical company that Paxton represented.<ref name=december>Andrea Zelinski, "Paxton's SEC charge dismissed: No 'legal duty' to disclose commission," ''San Antonio Express-News'', March 3, 2017, p. A3.</ref>