Texas Businessman Tied to Impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton to Appear in Federal Court
U.S. News & World Report AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A businessman at the center of the scandal that led to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons historic impeachment is set to make an initial appearance in federal court Friday morning following his arrest by the FBI.
Nate Paul, 36, was taken into custody and booked into an Austin jail on Thursday afternoon, according to Travis County Sheriffs Office records. Federal prosecutors are yet to reveal what charges led to his arrest, but the records showed he was being held on a federal detainer for a felony.
The Austin real estate developer's arrest followed a yearslong federal investigation. Paxton involved his office in that probe, setting off a chain of events that ultimately led to his impeachment and suspension from office last month.
A lawyer for Paul, David Gerger, said his client may comment after his court appearance. One of Paxtons defense attorneys, Dan Cogdell, said he had no additional information on the arrest.
FBI agents examining Pauls troubled real estate empire searched his Austin offices and palatial home in 2019. The next year, eight of Paxton s top deputies reported the attorney general to the FBI on allegations of bribery and abuse of office, including for hiring an outside lawyer to examine the developers claims of wrongdoing by federal agents.
