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 the attorney general “a fraud,” claiming he “uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family” in a statement released to Punchbowl News.
“He talks tough on crime and then lets crooked progressive Lina Hidalgo off the hook,” Cohen wrote. “He says his impeachment trial was a sham, but he didn’t contest the fact in legal filings, which will cost the state millions. He says he’s anti-woke, but he funnels millions of taxpayer dollars to lawyers who celebrate DEI.”
“This will be a spirited campaign, and we assure Texans they will have a real choice when this race is over,” the spokesperson added.
Affiliated polling from the Texas Politics Project found in March that Paxton had a 37% approval rating with all voters and 62% approval among GOP-identifying voters. Cornyn, meanwhile, had a 49% approval rating among GOP-identifying voters and 30% overall.
National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Tim Scott endorsed Cornyn in a Wednesday statement. “John Cornyn is a leader who delivers on President Trump’s agenda and for the people of Texas in the U.S. Senate,” Scott wrote. “He’s a proven fighter, man of faith, and essential part of the Republican Senate Majority.”
Paxton’s office didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Myles Morell contributed to this report
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