Ken Paxton’s ‘pen incident’ comes back to haunt him ahead of divorce trial

Republican Ken Paxton, Texas’ controversial attorney general-turned Senate candidate, is due in court for his divorce trial next month, but ahead of the public proceedings, a Texas political action committee (PAC) issued a warning to attendees regarding a past incident involving Paxton at the very same courthouse.

In 2013, Paxton admitted to taking a $1,000 luxury fountain pen mistakenly left at a security checkpoint in an incident that was captured on camera. The Collin County Sheriff’s Office reviewed video of the incident and contacted Paxton, who “quickly returned it,” and his spokesperson dismissed it as a “simple mixup,” a local NBC News affiliate reported.

The Lone Star Rising PAC, however, out of an apparent abundance of caution, warned those considering attending Paxton’s divorce proceedings to keep careful watch of their valuables.

“If you attend, please hold onto your valuables!” the social media account for the PAC wrote in a post on X. “Paxton will be back at the scene of the $1,000 pen stealing incident.”

Former Texas Democratic state Rep. Wendy Davis, also a lawyer and former congressional candidate, weighed in as well.

“Quick reminder that Ken Paxton literally STOLE a valuable pen someone accidentally left in a bin when going through security at a Dallas courthouse a few years ago,” Davis wrote in a social media post on X to her nearly 160,000 followers. “I mean, what more do you need to know? Now he has to go back to the same courthouse for his OPEN TO THE PUBLIC divorce trial.”

Paxton’s wife filed for divorce last year on what she described as “biblical grounds,” having accused her husband of infidelity. Paxton was also accused of having an affair back in 2023 during his impeachment trial, during which he faced accusations of bribery, abuse of public trust and unfitness for office. Paxton was ultimately acquitted on all articles of impeachment filed against him.

Paxton won the GOP primary election this week against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) after scoring an endorsement from President Donald Trump, and has remained a controversial figure in politics, even among Republicans.