Texas Tribune / Mark Felix
State Legal professional Common Ken Paxton, proper, talks with employees members earlier than a press convention on the Houston Restoration Middle on Oct. 26, 2021.
Drew Wicker didn’t like what he was listening to.
The private assistant to Legal professional Common Ken Paxton stood in his boss’s kitchen in summer time 2020 as Paxton expressed his need for granite counter tops with a contractor who estimated a $20,000 price ticket for the improve.
“I’ll verify with Nate,” the contractor stated after Paxton agreed to the associated fee, in accordance with Wicker. When Paxton introduced up different fixes he wished for his Austin property, the contractor stated he’d must verify with Nate about these, too.
Nate, Wicker understood, was Nate Paul, the Austin actual property investor Paxton had been assembly incessantly with that spring and summer time to debate Paul’s varied authorized issues, together with his declare of mistreatment by police after a raid at his house. To Wicker, the dialog sounded as if Paul can be paying for the renovation.
Wicker was so uncomfortable that he raised the difficulty with Paxton a few week later as they ate burgers at a Plano restaurant. Paxton assured Wicker he was paying for the renovations personally.
Three years later, these granite counter tops have emerged as a key piece of proof within the impeachment case towards Paxton, who’s accused of misusing the legal professional normal’s workplace to assist his pal Paul fend off a federal investigation into his flailing actual property empire. And Wicker — Paxton’s aide who grew right into a household pal — has turn into one of many key witnesses within the case towards his former boss. Among the many 20 articles of impeachment laid out by the Texas Home is an allegation that Paul paid for not simply counter tops however an intensive renovation of Paxton’s Tarrytown property in alternate for the legal professional normal’s assist along with his authorized points.
Ken Paxton’s former private assistant Drew Wicker.
As one of many aides who spent essentially the most time on the legal professional normal’s facet, Wicker proved a useful supply as a Home committee investigated Paxton in secret this spring earlier than recommending he be impeached.
“I’m going to provide the greatest recollection, after which I’m going to belief that the proof factors the place it shall,” Wicker advised his interviewers. “And if that finally ends up being that (Paxton) performed unlawful enterprise, then I like the person all the identical and I hope that that will get adjusted, however he additionally must be held to account.”
The transcript of Wicker’s Might 19 interview, launched Thursday night time together with practically 4,000 pages of proof compiled by the Home, supplied investigators with particulars on a number of abuses they’d allege Paxton dedicated in workplace.
Wicker described to investigators a detailed relationship with Paxton and stated that his spouse, state Sen. Angela Paxton, as soon as joked that he was the couple’s “second son.” Wicker resigned shortly after Paxton’s prime deputies accused him of corruption in September 2020, turning down a promotion to a coverage position the legal professional normal had supplied. He described the final three years as a “nightmare,” including that he had additionally been subpoenaed by the FBI.
Wicker joined the workplace in September 2019, a month after ending graduate college at Georgetown College, the place he studied political financial system. Really useful by a senior official within the workplace whom he knew, Wicker met with Paxton and was employed on the spot.
The position of the legal professional normal’s physique man was demanding, often stretching effectively previous the 9-to-5 workday. Wicker usually drove Paxton round, managed his schedule and couriered paperwork that wanted the legal professional normal’s evaluate or signature. He additionally obtained to journey with Paxton, together with a visit to China only a few months into the job.
He added that typically he did private errands for Paxton that had been outdoors of his job description, like transferring garments from the Tarrytown home whereas it was being renovated.
“My view on my job and my position was that if I might make his life somewhat bit simpler … that allowed him to raised deal with points pertaining to the state,” Wicker stated.
Wicker stated he met Paul in spring of 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and estimated he noticed the actual property developer a dozen instances over the next months. Typically, he and Paxton had lunch with Paul; on different events, they visited Paul at his downtown Austin workplace a number of blocks south of the legal professional normal’s workplace.
He stated there was a “good quantity of debate” about an FBI raid on Paul’s house and enterprise in August 2019 and that Paxton felt the episode was a “miscarriage of justice.” The Home investigators say Paul, in the meantime, wished the legal professional normal’s assist in acquiring the non-public search warrant paperwork the bureau had filed with the courtroom. Paul was federally indicted in June on eight counts of constructing false statements to monetary establishments.
The younger aide additionally recalled an occasion that summer time through which he delivered a manila folder to Paul at Paxton’s request. Investigators consider that folder contained the confidential FBI recordsdata concerning the legal probe into Paul, which Paxton leaked to the developer.
Wicker was pissed off with how a lot vitality Paxton was specializing in his relationship with Paul. Home investigators stated they found not less than 20 conferences between the pair that spring and summer time, regardless of the burgeoning pandemic.
“We had quite a few points that had been prime of thoughts … when it comes to coverage and initiatives,” Wicker stated. “And we had been spending an more and more massive share of our calendar time targeted on Nate Paul.”
Wicker, by probability, additionally found proof that Paxton had resumed an extramarital affair with a Senate staffer that his prime deputies thought was over.
The connection between Paxton and the girl is central to the impeachment case. Home investigators allege that Paul employed her in June 2020 as a favor to Paxton, permitting her to maneuver from San Antonio to Austin.
At a gathering with senior employees in September 2018, along with his spouse by his facet, Paxton disclosed that he had a relationship with the girl, however that it was over and he had recommitted to his marriage, the Related Press beforehand reported.
However Wicker, visiting the Omni Barton Creek lodge along with his household in summer time 2020, bumped into Paxton getting off the elevator with a girl who was not his spouse.
“No phrases had been stated,” Wicker recalled. “Paxton walked out, shook my hand, shook my father’s hand and the girl walked out, didn’t acknowledge us or say something.”
Wicker stated he reported what he noticed to Marc Rylander, the Paxton senior adviser who had advised him concerning the affair when he began the job. Wicker described what the girl regarded like.
“Nice,” Rylander replied. “She’s again.”
This text initially appeared within the Texas Tribune.The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and fascinating Texans on state politics and coverage. Be taught extra at texastribune.org.
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