‘Known Con Man And Fraud’: John Cornyn Comes Out Swinging Against Ken Paxton

Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn on Wednesday called Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton “a known con man and fraud” after he announced Tuesday on Fox News that he will challenge Cornyn for his seat.

The GOP-held Texas state House voted to impeach Paxton in May 2023 over alleged corruption, bribery, obstruction and other charges, but he was acquitted in September 2023. Cornyn told reporters on Capitol Hill that he would make allegations against Paxton a central issue of the campaign.

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“Obviously Mr. Paxton has a checkered background. He is a con man and fraud and I think the people of Texas know that,” Cornyn said. “But this is what we’ll be litigating over the course of this campaign. I am not going to turn over this Senate seat once held by Sam Houston to somebody like him. We will fight this to the end and we will win.”

“He’s a known com man and fraud. I don’t know how you can not make that an issue because people need to be able to trust elected officials and their senators,” he added.

Cornyn also touted his history of having a strongly aligned voting record with President Donald Trump in his first term.

“It’s unclear to me exactly what is motivating Mr. Paxton other than vanity and personal ambition,” he said.

After Paxton’s announcement, Cornyn’s campaign spokesperson Max Cohen called