On a live Special Report from the Republican National Committee’s first midterm convention in Dallas, Bret Baier interviewed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The video showed a lower third naming Paxton and reading “LEGAL WOES PAXTON CONTROVERSIES IN OFFICE.”
Baier said Paxton’s Democratic rival raises the subject at campaign stops and in ads. Baier said the opponent “talks about it every campaign stop, and sometimes in these commercials, is what he says is corruption.” He also said, “And he goes down a list of, of legal troubles you’ve had.”
Fox then ran on-screen graphics while Baier spoke. Newsweek quoted Baier saying, “Just putting them on the screen here, just so everybody can see.” Paxton has denied wrongdoing on the items shown.
Fox listed securities charges, staff claims, impeachment, and a $6.6 million order
A graphic headed “PAXTON LEGAL TROUBLES” said Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015 and that those charges were dropped after a pretrial agreement in 2024. It also said federal fraud charges were announced in 2016 and that a federal judge dismissed that case in 2017.
Further lines appeared under “LEGAL WOES PAXTON CONTROVERSIES IN OFFICE.” They said seven staff members in 2020 accused Paxton of accepting bribes and abusing the power of office. Paxton’s legal controversies have included accusations from political opponents, such as when Texas Rep. James Talarico accused him of voter fraud.
They also said the Republican Texas House impeached him in 2023 over accusations of misusing power to aid friends and donors.
The graphic said the Texas State Senate acquitted him of all 16 impeachment articles in 2023. It said he was ordered in 2025 to pay four former employees $6.6 million for violating the Texas Whistleblower Act.
Baier said, “I mean, it’s a long list here. But as you look at that and you talk to voters who may be concerned about this, watching these commercials, what do you say?” Newsweek separately quoted him saying, “It’s a long list here,” then asking what he would tell voters concerned by the list.
Paxton said, “Well, look, when you’re fighting, they come after you. Look at Donald Trump. He had many more indictments than I did. He had 2 impeachments. I went through a very similar process as them.”
He added, “When you go after things that protect the people of your state, they come after you. And none of those things were proven. They all, if you’ll notice, they were all dismissed or they’re gone.”
Trump faced charges in four criminal cases before winning a second term in 2024. A New York jury in May 2024 convicted him of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records linked to reimbursements for a $130,000 hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels.
The remaining three cases, which included allegations of election interference and illegally hoarding classified documents, had been dropped, resolved, or put aside. A judge last month rejected Trump’s effort to erase the hush-money conviction, and the House impeached him twice in his first term while the Senate acquitted him both times.
Published: Sep 12, 2026 09:30 am