Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton goes on trial Tuesday in the state Senate on 16 articles of impeachment relating to allegations of bribery, dereliction of duty and disregard of official duty.

Paxton is just the third person to stand for an impeachment trial in the history of the Texas Legislature. The two other impeached officials were both expelled from office.

Ken Paxton has long faced questions about his relationship with real estate developer Nate Paul, who donated to Paxton's campaign. Paul has since been indicted in an unrelated case.

Several aides in Paxton's office came forward in 2020 alleging that Paxton influenced employees to get involved in legal disputes that would benefit Paul and his business. In return, they alleged, Paul provided extensive home renovations for Paxton — and also employed a woman with whom Paxton was allegedly having an affair.

Paxton denies the allegations against him.

According to a report by the House impeachment managers, who will present their arguments at his state Senate trial, Angela Paxton and the woman Paxton allegedly had an affair with had a "loud verbal confrontation down at the cafe" at one point.

One of Paxton's former top aides, Andrew Wicker, testified to House impeachment managers that he heard that before he came to work for the attorney general's office in 2019, there had been an "intervention" in the office about his alleged affair.

Wicker told the House impeachment managers that he was told that "they all got in a room and talked about it, put it all out on the table and I don't know what all was said in that discussion." He added, "I know that it eventually became knowledge with Angela and that there is a form of reconciliation there." But Wicker also testified that he believed the alleged affair had resumed.

Wicker testified that there were discussions between Paxton and members of the staff about a 2019 FBI raid on Paul's home, and although Wicker said he didn't have "firsthand knowledge" about it, it appeared there had been an effort to obtain the affidavit for the search for Paul.

The aide also told the House impeachment managers that he was asked to deliver a manila envelope to Paul, which investigators believe contained confidential FBI files about Paul.

In another instance, Wicker testified that during renovations to Paxton's house in 2020, he wanted granite countertops. When told that it would cost $20,000, Wicker said Paxton replied, "I will check with Nate." Wicker said that struck him as "odd" because both Paxton and his wife are "very stingy with money."

Wicker testified that around the time of the renovation —the late summer and early fall of 2020— "we were spending an increasingly large share of our calendar time focused on Nate Paul and those — and those cases."

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