By Brad Brooks
(Reuters) – FBI agents on Thursday arrested a real estate developer at the center of allegations that have led to the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to jail records.
Nate Paul was booked into the Travis County jail in Austin after his arrest, according to the jail’s online inmate records, which indicated he was there on undisclosed federal charges.
The FBI declined to comment. The Department of Justice did not immediately reply to a request for comment. It was not immediately known if Paul had legal representation. Calls and an email to Paul’s business – World Class Holdings – were not returned.
Paxton, an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump whose lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results was tossed out by the Supreme Court, was impeached on May 27 and temporarily suspended from office pending his trial in the Senate.
The articles of impeachment against him accuse Paxton of having employees of the attorney general’s office intervene in a lawsuit against Paul, 36, of giving the developer documents related to an FBI investigation against him, and of providing numerous legal favors to Paul in exchange for his renovating Paxton’s home.
Paxton, 60, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Aside from his impeachment, he is under a separate corruption investigation by the Justice Department, according to the special prosecutors in Texas leading his state case.
The Texas Senate will try Paxton on the 20 articles of impeachment lodged against him on or before Aug. 28. I
If two-thirds of the 31 senators find him guilty, he will be removed from office. If not, he will be reinstated. Paxton’s wife, Angela, is a senator and chair of the Republican caucus in the chamber. She has yet to say whether she will recuse herself from his trial.
(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas; Editing by Sonali Paul)
