Texas Attorney General Listed Three Homes as Primary Residence

Ken Paxton’s real estate portfolio is now part of his political baggage.

The Texas attorney general, who is vying for a U.S. Senate seat, and his estranged wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, may have broken lending rules by declaring multiple properties as their primary residence. The maneuver helped the Paxtons secure lower mortgage rates across at least three homes, the Associated Press reported.

The Paxtons have a $1.5 million home in a gated community in McKinney and have bought two more homes in Austin since 2015.

The designation typically qualifies a borrower for significantly lower interest rates than if the home were labeled a second residence or investment property. The couple also collected simultaneous homestead tax breaks in 2018 on homes in Dallas and Austin, though one was later attributed to a previous owner.

Violating the terms of a mortgage could prompt lenders to seek full payment of the loan.

Knowingly misrepresenting primary residence status on mortgage documents could constitute fraud. In Paxton’s case, enforcement is murky. As Texas’ top law enforcement officer, his own agency is tasked with policing such violations.

The Paxtons also appear to have violated rental restrictions baked into mortgages on two other properties. A home in College Station and a luxury cabin in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, both of which have been listed for rent, were purchased with mortgages that prohibit renting. While it’s unclear whether Paxton personally filled out or reviewed the lender documents, real estate attorneys argue that he should have known better.

The mortgage revelations come as Paxton campaigns to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in 2026 and follow years of legal and ethical scrutiny of the attorney general.

Paxton was impeached in 2023 (and later acquitted) over allegations he used his office to benefit real estate developer Nate Paul, with whom he was personally entangled — the same developer who, the subject of an FBI investigation, allegedly paid for renovations to one of the Paxton homes in question.

Federal prosecutors later charged Paul in June 2023 with falsifying information to secure $172 million in loans. Paul was sentenced to four months of home confinement, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine in April but avoided prison time after a plea deal.

Mortgage filings have become ammunition in Republicans’ political battles. President Donald Trump has accused foes Sen. Adam Schiff of California and New York Attorney General Letitia James of mortgage fraud and, in the case of the latter, sicced the FBI on their personal real estate and mortgage dealings. Schiff’s and James’ cases are fairly distinct from Paxton’s, however, and involve multi-state property deals.

The Trump administration has launched investigations into similar mortgage claims by Democrats, though it’s unlikely Paxton will face any legal consequences.

— Judah Duke