Woman with whom Ken Paxton allegedly had an affair identified by Texas AG's lawyers

The identity of the woman with whom now-suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton allegedly had an extramarital affair has been revealed in documents tied to his impeachment proceedings, and her connection to a state senator raises questions about that lawmaker's participation in Paxton's upcoming trial in the Senate.

In a motion to dismiss 19 of the 20 impeachment articles against him, Paxton's lawyers identified the woman as Laura Olson, who was allegedly hired in 2019 by Nate Paul, a Paxton political donor and Austin real estate developer.

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The Texas House in late May overwhelmingly voted to impeach Paxton and accused him of abusing his power as attorney general by intervening in multiple legal matters to give Paul the upper hand over an opponent. In exchange, investigators claim, Paul financed a home remodel for Paxton and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, and hired Olson because of her alleged relationship with the attorney general.

The Dallas Morning News reported a woman with Olson's name worked several years for state Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, who will participate as a juror in Ken Paxton's impeachment trial. Olson's potential connection to Campbell might call into question the senator's objectivity in judging Paxton for his alleged misconduct.

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When the American-Statesman reached out to Campbell's district office for confirmation of Olson's employment, a spokesperson said she was not authorized to comment.

Paxton's impeachment trial is set to begin Sept. 5. Senators will vote on whether to remove him from office based on allegations that he engaged in bribery and misuse of office to assist Paul. Paxton also stands accused of inappropriately firing aides in his office after they reported allegations of potential criminal behavior by the attorney general to federal investigators.

Angela Paxton will not be allowed to act as a juror. She previously had said she would not recuse herself from the proceeding, but the Senate-approved impeachment rules prohibit her from participating.

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However, Angela Paxton will be considered "present and eligible" for the purpose of calculating the number of votes required for all impeachment matters. Support from two-thirds of the Senate, or 21 members, is required to convict Ken Paxton on any count. The fact that his wife can't vote does not change that math.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas AG Paxton's alleged mistress identified in impeachment documents