Politics

Ken Paxton’s Security for Travel Cost Taxpayers Millions. Just 1 in 6 of His Trips Had a Stated Business Purpose.

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 09/10/2026, 11:24:24 UTC.

Briefings

ProPublica and The Texas Tribune analyzed Ken Paxton's travel records from 2023, revealing he took 17 trips while suspended from office, with only 1 in 6 having a stated business purpose. His security detail cost taxpayers $3.3 million, averaging $24,300 per trip, compared to Abbott's $7,400 monthly cost. Paxton traveled 82 more out-of-state trips than Abbott and nearly as many as the governor and lieutenant governor combined. The investigation found no records for 36 states and 19 countries, and Paxton refused to provide additional information when asked.

Key points

• Ken Paxton took 17 trips while suspended from office in 2023, with only 1 in 6 (approximately 2.8 trips) having a stated business purpose.
• Paxton's security detail cost taxpayers $3.3 million over nearly 1,000 trips, averaging $24,300 per trip, significantly higher than his predecessor Greg Abbott's $7,400 monthly cost.

Context and limitations

Analysis relied on DPS logs and office records available through the state's Public Information Act; records for 36 states and 19 countries were unavailable. Pre-trial suspension in 2023 limited the scope to that period only.

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