Attorney General Ken Paxton’s former legal clients and family friends gave him $84,000 last year to fuel his long-running legal fight against securities fraud accusations, marking a heavy drop-off in donations as the dispute drags on with no end in sight.
In total, Paxton has collected more than $630,000 from people he says he has a personal relationship with to finance his legal defense, according to a review of personal financial statements filed with the Texas Ethics Commission.
A recent filing covering the 2017 calendar year shows Paxton collected $25,000 checks from Shawn and Erin Clayton of Prosper, whom he described as friends from Legacy Christian Academy, where his wife Angela works as a guidance counselor; and former clients and family friends Carrie and Steven Parsons of Dallas. Paxton also received a $20,000 check from Shelley and Phillip Carter, another friend from Legacy Christian.
Shawn Clayton is president and CEO of Superscapes, a Dallas-area landscape company.
The Parsons have given repeatedly to Paxton. They gave $75,000, among his largest contributions, in 2015 and 2016. Carrie Parson is an executive at Freeman, a business branding firm with offices in Dallas.
Article by Andrea Zelinski • View on The Houston Chronicle
