AUSTIN — Attorney General Ken Paxton cut his wife’s campaign a $500,000 check this week in an attempt to help her win her first political bid for office.
Paxton, who has more than $5 million in his campaign war chest, loaned Angela Paxton’s campaign the half million dollars Wednesday, according to campaign filings. The loan carries an 8 percent interest rate and must be paid back in two years.
The attorney general, a first-term Republican facing his own election in November, has already used his campaign to guaranteed a $2 million loan for Angela’s suburban Dallas state Senate race. He has also spent $12,000 picking up the tab her various campaign expenditures, including polling.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a powerful Republican from Houston, endorsed her in February over car dealer Phillip Huffines. Patrick gifted her $50,000 last month, and spent $25,000 running radio ads for her this week, according to campaign filings.
The conservative Republican who leads the Senate chamber spent nearly $14,000 funding a campaign voter survey and producing an endorsement ad in February, according to campaign filings.
Article by Andrea Zelinski • View on Houston Chronicle