Ken Paxton Partied With Fugitives

What happened

A video reviewed by The Wall Street Journal showed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton celebrating New Year’s Eve in Dubai with girlfriend Tracy Duhon and two American businessmen indicted months earlier. The report adds pressure to Paxton’s Republican Senate campaign, after President Donald Trump endorsed him over incumbent John Cornyn and as Democrat James Talarico challenges him. Paxton’s campaign said he, like Trump, has been politically persecuted and keeps winning because he fights for Texas. Lawyers for businessman Anosh Ahmed said he was abroad when first indicted and family health problems delayed his return. Ahmed and Sameer Suhail have since returned to face charges in the United States.

How each side covered it

From the left

Left-leaning outlets framed the Dubai video as a judgment test for Texas’s top law-enforcement official, with personal scandal sharpening the political damage. The Daily Beast leaned into the image of Paxton socializing with “fugitives from American justice” while his Senate race already carried scandal baggage. It lingered on Duhon’s presence as part of an adultery storyline.

From the right

Right-leaning outlets treated the video as damaging but centered the risk of Paxton’s company and campaign timing over moral outrage. The Daily Mail cast the trip as a new problem for a Trump-backed candidate already under scandal pressure. The Washington Examiner focused on the girlfriend footage and scrutiny around Paxton’s marriage timeline.

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Ken Paxton Partied With Fugitives

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What happened

How each side covered it

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