Ken Paxton's Leaked Rants Spark Investigation and Controversy

WHO:

Alternet - Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General; John Cornyn, outgoing U.S. Senator; James Talarico, Democratic state Representative; Carlos Curbelo, former Representative; Donald Trump, President.

CNN - Chris Brinson and Susan Hirschmann, lobbyists who hosted the fundraiser; Jasmine Crockett, Democratic congresswoman; Nick Maddux, Paxton senior adviser; Rob Jesmer, Cornyn representative; Angela Paxton, Ken Paxton's estranged wife.

WHAT:

Alternet - A recording of Ken Paxton was leaked, showing him expressing frustration about John Cornyn's lack of support.

CNN - Paxton stated, “He wants me to lose,” regarding Cornyn's support during a fundraiser.

CNN - Republicans have invested over $100 million into the Texas Senate race.

CNN - A Fox News poll indicated that nearly a third of Republican likely voters had an unfavorable opinion of Paxton.

WHERE:

Alternet - The fundraiser took place in Washington, D.C.

CNN - The fundraiser was attended by fewer than 20 people.

WHEN:

Alternet - The fundraiser occurred on September 24.

CNN - A Paxton campaign memo dated Tuesday indicated ongoing challenges in securing Republican support.

WHY:

Alternet - Paxton's campaign is facing issues due to internal Republican tensions and dissatisfaction among GOP loyalists.

CNN - Cornyn's distance from Paxton's campaign is attributed to their long-running tensions and Cornyn's belief that Paxton has disgraced the office.

HOW:

Alternet - The leaked audio was obtained from an attendee who opposes Paxton.

CNN - Paxton's campaign has attempted to downplay the significance of the leaked audio, calling it “a story that doesn’t exist.”

(UPDATED October 9, 2026 13:12 UTC)

A leaked recording has surfaced of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton expressing frustration over outgoing U.S. Senator John Cornyn's lack of support during a recent fundraiser in Washington, D.C., where fewer than 20 attendees were present. In the recording, Paxton claimed, “He wants me to lose,” highlighting the ongoing tensions within the Republican Party, which has invested over $100 million into the Texas Senate race. Despite Paxton's efforts to downplay the leaked audio as “a story that doesn’t exist,” a recent Fox News poll revealed that nearly a third of Republican likely voters hold an unfavorable opinion of him.