The already scandal-plagued Ken Paxton is facing yet another round of scrutiny.
A new report fromThe New York Times found that one of Paxton's "top sources of income" was a cell tower located on the Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center campus in Frisco, Texas, that he allegedly dealt himself while serving on the hospital board. The cell tower reportedly netted Paxton a six-figure payout every 18 months since 2006.
The revelation comes as Paxton continues to struggle in the polls against Democrat James Talarico, his rival in the Nov. 3 General Election for a U.S. Senate seat.
Madison Cercy, deputy director of communications for Paxton's campaign, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
Texas Democrats were quick to attack
the attorney general, who has come under fire in recent weeks for dodging questions about how he became a multimillionaire on a taxpayer-funded salary over the last decade, with an estimated net worth of $13 million and 15 properties across five states.
"Ken Paxton self-dealing himself a lucrative cell tower by leveraging his position as a board member is classic corruption," Texas Democratic Party spokesman Ryan Martin said in a news release. "Paxton has made millions while serving in public office, and Texans deserve answers. Paxton is rigging the system to help himself get rich, while working Texans struggle — and it is exactly why Texans will be kicking him to the curb in November.”
The report states that Paxton served on the hospital board from 2003 until 2013. He co-founded a company called Premier Vertical Properties in 2005, and that company signed a deal in 2006 with T-Mobile to lease space on the cell tower.
"Industry experts said a hospital’s board would need to review and approve a decision to lease land to a cell tower company such as Premier," The New York Times reported. "It is not clear whether Mr. Paxton, as a board member, voted on any contract between the hospital and his company, or whether he had participated in any such discussions."
"Industry experts expressed surprise that a cell tower in a prime spot — near a highway and a hospital in a busy area — would be snapped up by a cell tower company like Mr. Paxton’s," the report continued, "which had been created only the year before, and not by a larger, more established firm."
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Paxton faces scrutiny over cell tower deal in Texas US Senate race
