NO COMMENT KEN: Paxton Under Fire For Running From Reporters And Abandoning Rare Public Appearance When Pressed On His Scandals
Houston Chronicle: “Ken Paxton held a rare press conference. He refused to answer questions.”
KXAN: “Paxton opens floor to questions, shuts down inquiries on voting record and real estate holdings”
MS NOW: “Pressed for answers on scandals, Texas’ Ken Paxton abandons press conference”
HuffPost: “Ken Paxton Bolts From Press Event When Asked About Potentially Committing Voter Fraud”
Daily Beast: “Paxton shut down his own press conference and ran away after being asked questions about his own controversies”
AUSTIN, TX — At a “rare” and “uncommon” public appearance in Texas yesterday, Texans got a reminder of how cowardly No Comment Ken Paxton is. When reporters pressed him to answer for his corruption, “Paxton stormed off the podium” and his handlers had to intervene as he “dodged questions about recent reporting that he may have violated election laws and about luxury condos he bought.”
Paxton was ridiculed by both Democrats and Republicans for running away and “refusing to answer questions at his own press conference” with a GOP strategist quipping Paxton “better be able to answer the questions.” As it was put by MS NOW: “Paxton genuinely seems to believe he can go the entire campaign without fielding questions [...] watching Paxton flee his own press conference in response to predictable and reasonable questions, a variety of words came to mind. ‘Manly’ wasn’t one of them.”
Yesterday capped off another disastrous public appearance for Paxton after he was caught lying about the crowd size of his small rally in the latest string of self-inflicted embarrassments. Texans are seeing firsthand why Paxton’s handlers are panicking and cutting off public appearances by saying “We’re going to get out of here.”
Read for yourself:
Houston Chronicle: Ken Paxton held a rare press conference. He refused to answer questions.
July 21, 2026
By Casey Murray
In a rare press conference on Tuesday, Attorney General Ken Paxton dodged questions about recent reporting that he may have violated election laws and about luxury condos he bought in Utah.
Things took a turn when he opened the press conference up to questions from reporters.
Paxton refused to answer a question about a New York Times report that he recently bought three condominiums at a luxury resort in Utah worth more than $1 million.
“We’re here with the sheriffs, I’d like to keep things to law enforcement,” Paxton said. “That’s what I’m going to answer.”
He also dodged the next question, about a report by the Texas Tribune that Paxton may have illegally voted by using an old address on his voter registration rather than his current home — even as he has sought to crack down on voter fraud from his attorney general post.
The Senate race is one of the most watched and hotly contested of the cycle. Talarico has hit Paxton hard on corruption allegations, including the recent reporting regarding his wealth and voting.
“Ken Paxton just refused to answer basic questions about reports he committed voter fraud and expanded his real estate portfolio to 15 properties on a government salary – because he has no answers for his corruption,” said Talarico spokesperson JT Ennis.
The attorney general won a GOP primary against U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who hammered him over similar problems and argued the baggage would drag him down in a general election.
Paxton, who was impeached on corruption charges by the Texas House but acquitted by the state Senate, has cast himself as a political survivor akin to President Donald Trump.
The attorney general doesn’t hold many public events, and takes questions from the press even more rarely.
“Over the last several years, we have also worked to develop new tools to help law enforcement beat modern challenges,” Paxton said. “Our office created this specialized section to provide additional resources, expertise and coordination so that local law enforcement can more effectively investigate trafficking organizations.
The Chronicle previously reported Paxton’s office failed to close many cases.
KXAN: Paxton opens floor to questions, shuts down inquiries on voting record and real estate holdings
July 21, 2026
By Carolina Hauger, Adam Schwager
In an uncommon move Tuesday morning, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened up the floor to questions. In a more familiar development, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate declined to respond to questions about recent reporting on his voting records and real estate holdings, steering the event back to law enforcement and public safety.
Immediately after opening questions, a reporter attempted to ask Paxton about a recent New York Times report detailing his growing real estate portfolio. He declined to answer.
“We’re here with the sheriffs. I’d like to keep today to law enforcement,” a campaign representative said after Paxton asked the reporter to focus on law enforcement questions.
Moments later, another reporter asked about Paxton’s voting history in Collin County. The question referenced a Texas Tribune/ProPublica investigation that scrutinized whether Paxton remained eligible to vote from a Collin County address after separating from his wife.
Staff again interrupted, saying, “We’re just going to do questions on law enforcement today.”
Following the event, Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis criticized Paxton for declining to address the questions.
“Ken Paxton just refused to answer basic questions about reports he committed voter fraud and expanded his real estate portfolio to 15 properties on a government salary — because he has no answers for his corruption,” Ennis said in a statement.
Ennis added that if Paxton “can’t answer these simple questions, what is he planning to do in a debate?”
MS NOW: Pressed for answers on scandals, Texas’ Ken Paxton abandons press conference
July 22, 2026
By Steve Benen
Although Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had already earned a reputation as the most scandal-plagued U.S. Senate candidate in recent memory, the Republican’s troubles have managed to take a turn for the worse.
Just in the past couple of weeks, Paxton has been accused of using an address where he did not live while voting in recent elections and has faced allegations that he and his estranged wife declared three separate homes as their primary residence in mortgage documents — a practice that his party has, in other situations, characterized as an outrageous abuse.
Complicating matters, property records now suggest that the state attorney general, either in his personal capacity or through his trusts, now owns at least 15 properties, worth roughly $9 million.
The good news is, Paxton finally held a press conference Tuesday — a “rare” occurrence, as one outlet called it, for a politician who doesn’t seem to care for questions — offering journalists an opportunity to ask the Texan about his many controversies. The bad news is, Paxton didn’t want to answer any questions about his many controversies, and he then abruptly abandoned his own event when reporters treated him like a Senate candidate.
“General, I wanted to give you a chance to respond to [Democratic state Rep. James Talarico] and his campaign,” one reporter said. “They’ve made a lot about the reports that have come out, one in The New York Times about you acquiring properties worth —”
At that point, Paxton, surrounded by 22 local sheriffs who support his candidacy, interrupted and said he only wanted to field questions related to “law enforcement.”
But in the United States, politicians don’t get to limit the scope of journalists’ questions, and so another reporter asked the state attorney general why he allegedly voted in one county while living in another. A Paxton aide, seemingly eager to rescue her boss, tried to intervene as the Republican walked away from his podium.
A Talarico spokesperson said in a statement, “Ken Paxton just refused to answer basic questions about reports he committed voter fraud and expanded his real estate portfolio to 15 properties on a government salary — because he has no answers for his corruption. If Ken Paxton can’t answer these simple questions, what is he planning to do in a debate?”
For the record, Paxton hasn’t agreed to any debates. He also hasn’t offered substantive answers to the same questions ahead of Tuesday’s event.
Stepping back, the embarrassing display underscored two notable elements of the Senate race in the Lone Star State. First, Paxton genuinely seems to believe he can go the entire campaign without fielding questions from independent news organizations about the brutal list of scandals that follows him like cans tied to a bumper.
And second, Republicans invested a remarkable amount of time and energy into trying to make the Texas race a referendum on, of all things, masculinity. But watching Paxton flee his own press conference in response to predictable and reasonable questions, a variety of words came to mind. “Manly” wasn’t one of them.
HuffPost: Ken Paxton Bolts From Press Event When Asked About Potentially Committing Voter Fraud
July 21, 2026
By Jennifer Bendery
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) abruptly ditched a Tuesday press conference when he was asked about reports that he potentially committed voter fraud and owns 15 homes worth $9 million on a government salary.
Paxton, who is running for the U.S. Senate against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, was holding an event with sheriffs when reporters asked him to respond to these reports. Paxton refused.
“I’d like to keep today to law enforcement,” he said. “That’s what I’m going to answer.”
As other reporters tried to ask questions, a Paxton aide stepped in and told the group, “We’re going to get out of here.” The event was over.
Talarico’s campaign later mocked Paxton for fleeing the scene.
“Ken Paxton just refused to answer basic questions about reports he committed voter fraud and expanded his real estate portfolio to 15 properties on a government salary – because he has no answers for his corruption,” Talarico spokesperson JT Ennis said in a statement. “If Ken Paxton can’t answer these simple questions, what is he planning to do in a debate?”
Daily Beast: Trump’s MAGA Pick Flees Media Because He Didn’t Like Questions
July 21, 2026
By Sarah Ewall-Wice
Texas Attorney General and Senate candidate Ken Paxton shut down his own press conference and ran away after being asked questions about his own controversies.
Paxton was appearing with sheriffs from across the state in Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday. His goal was to tout his support for law enforcement, but the Republican Senate hopeful panicked after not getting the questions he wanted.
First, he tried to keep the questions focused on law enforcement, but when that did not work, he stopped taking questions altogether and quickly fled the room as the group of sheriffs in cowboy hats around him looked on.
“I wanted to give you a chance to respond to State Rep. Talarico and his campaign. They’ve made a lot about the reports that have come out, one in The New York Times about you acquiring properties worth nine million,” Jack Fink from the local CBS station asked.
“Jack, can we keep this to law enforcement today?” Paxton responded.
“Well, I’m giving you the opportunity to answer the questions about...” the reporter tried to respond before being cut off.
“We’re here with the sheriffs. I’d like to keep today to law enforcement, so that’s what I’m gonna answer, questions about law enforcement,” the state Attorney General repeated.
A staffer instead called on another reporter to ask a question, but the situation went downhill from there.
The reporter asked if Paxton would answer a question about why he voted in Collin County, Texas.
It comes after a report earlier this month found he may have violated state election law by using an address where he did not live while voting in six elections in two years.
“We’re just going to do questions on law enforcement today because we’re joined with twenty-two amazing law enforcement officers,” the staffer said.
“You guys don’t have any, that’s fine,” Paxton added. “I can move on.”
Paxton then proceeded to answer just one question from Fink after the state attorney general refused to answer his first question, but after one question, his team shut down the press conference.
“We’re going to get out of here,” the same staffer said as another reporter said she had a question.
The reporter pointed out that the Republican Senate hopeful had only answered one question at his event, but Paxton kept walking toward the exit as the group of sheriffs looked on.
He then quickly left the room.
Paxton would not address a question about The New York Times report this month that he has expanded his real estate holdings, which are worth an estimated $9 million.
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