According to detention records, FBI agents arrested a real estate developer at the center of allegations that led to the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday.
According to the jail's online inmate records, Nate Paul was booked into the Travis County jail in Austin after his arrest, where he was being held on unspecified federal offenses.
The FBI was unwilling to comment. The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment immediately. It was initially unknown whether Paul had legal counsel. Paul's business, World Class Holdings, did not respond to calls or an email.
Paxton, an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump whose lawsuit challenging the results of the 2020 election was dismissed by the Supreme Court, was impeached on May 27 and temporarily suspended from office pending his Senate trial.
The articles of impeachment against him accuse him of having employees of the attorney general's office intervene in a lawsuit against developer Paul, 36, of providing the developer with documents related to an FBI investigation against him, and of providing numerous legal favors to Paul in exchange for his renovating Paxton's home.
Paxton, 60 years old, has repeatedly denied any impropriety. In addition to his impeachment, he is the subject of a separate Justice Department corruption investigation, according to the special prosecutors in Texas conducting his state case.
On or before August 28, the Texas Senate will try Paxton on the twenty articles of impeachment filed against him.
If he is found culpable by two-thirds of the 31 senators, he will be removed from office. He will be reinstated if not. Angela Paxton is a senator and the head of the chamber's Republican caucus. She has not yet indicated whether or not she will recuse herself from his trial.
