A caller to Ken Paxton’s phone town hall on Monday cut to the chase.
“I’m just wondering ― why did you cheat on your wife?” she asked Paxton, the scandal-marred Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas.
“Um, I’m not gonna talk about personal issues that relate to my family, just like I don’t think you would wanna discuss your marriage on a call with thousands of people,” he replied. “All I can tell you is that I’m proud of my kids. I’ve got four wonderful kids. I’ve got seven grandchildren — well, six and one on the way. There’s a lot at stake, and so while I care about this country, I’m not gonna talk about things that would affect them, so thank you very much for your question.”
“After facing the pressures of countless political attacks and public scrutiny, Angela and I have decided to start a new chapter in our lives,” he wrote on X.
Trump-backed Paxton, the Texas attorney general who faces Democrat James Talarico in a closely watched race, has been dogged by a sketchy past that includes bribery allegations. Paxton was accused of helping a real estate developer harass his enemies in exchange for the developer funding the renovation of Paxton’s home and helping cover up an extramarital affair. Paxton was impeached and acquitted.