Texas state Senator Angela Paxton announced Thursday she has filed for divorce from state Attorney General Ken Paxton, her longtime husband. "Today, after 38 years of marriage, I filed for divorce on biblical grounds," the state senator wrote in a social media post. Angela Paxton, a state senator, wrote in a social media post that her decision followed “recent discoveries” – though she did not elaborate.
"I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation," she added. "But in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage."
Ken Paxton also pointed to "countless political attacks and public scrutiny” in his own X post, saying the two “have decided to start a new chapter in our lives.” “I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren,” he said. “I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time.”
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Attorney General Paxton is currently looking to defeat Texas Senator John Cornyn and is running against the 23-year incumbent in next year's Republican primary. Paxton was elected Texas' attorney general in 2014 and took office in 2015. Senator Angela Paxton has represented Texas' District 8 since 2019, a seat that Ken Paxton held before he won the attorney general race.
“The marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities between petitioner and respondent that destroys the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any reasonable expectation of reconciliation,” the records state.
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For his part, Paxton said on X: “After facing the pressures of countless political attacks and public scrutiny, Angela and I have decided to start a new chapter in our lives. “I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren. I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time.”
One of the key allegations against Ken Paxton accused him of accepting a bribe from Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who allegedly secured a job for Paxton’s mistress at his company, World Class Holdings, in 2019. The woman, later identified by the media as Laura Olson, was a prominent local figure. The affair reportedly began in 2018, when Katherine ‘Missy’ Cary, Paxton’s former chief of staff, overheard Olson discussing Paxton ‘in a very personal way’ at an Austin restaurant. Ken Paxton initially claimed Olson was his realtor, but later admitted the affair, according to Cary.
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Laura Olson, a four-time divorcee with two children, had long been active in the Bexar County Republican Women’s group. She worked for Texas State Senator Donna Campbell from 2013 to 2019 and previously dated San Antonio Councilman Clayton Perry, publicly supporting him during a widely publicized DUI scandal. Though she was called to testify during Paxton’s impeachment trial, senators were told she was “unavailable to testify.”
Paxton was ultimately acquitted on all 16 articles of impeachment. His wife, State Senator Angela Paxton, was barred from voting in the trial due to a conflict of interest.
This wasn’t Paxton’s first brush with legal trouble—he also faced an FBI investigation and was indicted in 2015 for state securities fraud. Those charges were later dismissed after he reached a pretrial restitution agreement.
"I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation," she added. "But in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage."
Ken Paxton also pointed to "countless political attacks and public scrutiny” in his own X post, saying the two “have decided to start a new chapter in our lives.” “I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren,” he said. “I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time.”
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Attorney General Paxton is currently looking to defeat Texas Senator John Cornyn and is running against the 23-year incumbent in next year's Republican primary. Paxton was elected Texas' attorney general in 2014 and took office in 2015. Senator Angela Paxton has represented Texas' District 8 since 2019, a seat that Ken Paxton held before he won the attorney general race.
What are the social media users saying?
Even though Angela Paxton's statement does not mention affair, social media users are speculating that Paxton's alleged affair with Laura Olson might be the reason behind the divorce. The court records in Collin County note that the couple, who met as students and married in 1986, have not lived together for a year. The plaintiff is accusing the father of four and the grandfather of five of being unfaithful to her, reported The Independent.“The marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities between petitioner and respondent that destroys the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any reasonable expectation of reconciliation,” the records state.
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For his part, Paxton said on X: “After facing the pressures of countless political attacks and public scrutiny, Angela and I have decided to start a new chapter in our lives. “I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren. I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time.”
Ken Paxton's alleged affair
The state senator's divorce announcement came years after her husband was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives in part over an alleged extramarital affair he had with a Texas Senate staffer. The extramarital affair alluded to in the filings first came to light two years ago during Paxton’s impeachment trial in the Texas Senate.One of the key allegations against Ken Paxton accused him of accepting a bribe from Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who allegedly secured a job for Paxton’s mistress at his company, World Class Holdings, in 2019. The woman, later identified by the media as Laura Olson, was a prominent local figure. The affair reportedly began in 2018, when Katherine ‘Missy’ Cary, Paxton’s former chief of staff, overheard Olson discussing Paxton ‘in a very personal way’ at an Austin restaurant. Ken Paxton initially claimed Olson was his realtor, but later admitted the affair, according to Cary.
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Laura Olson, a four-time divorcee with two children, had long been active in the Bexar County Republican Women’s group. She worked for Texas State Senator Donna Campbell from 2013 to 2019 and previously dated San Antonio Councilman Clayton Perry, publicly supporting him during a widely publicized DUI scandal. Though she was called to testify during Paxton’s impeachment trial, senators were told she was “unavailable to testify.”
Paxton was ultimately acquitted on all 16 articles of impeachment. His wife, State Senator Angela Paxton, was barred from voting in the trial due to a conflict of interest.
This wasn’t Paxton’s first brush with legal trouble—he also faced an FBI investigation and was indicted in 2015 for state securities fraud. Those charges were later dismissed after he reached a pretrial restitution agreement.
