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Who is Nate Paul, the donor at the center of the case? – UnlistedNews

Much of the alleged misconduct detailed in the articles of impeachment filed against Attorney General Ken Paxton centers on his relationship with a real estate investor, Nate Paul.

Not long ago, Mr. Paul, who in 2018 donated $25,000 to Mr. Paxton’s campaign, was heralded as one of the most successful young real estate entrepreneurs in Austin, Texas.

His legal troubles came to the fore in 2019 when FBI agents raided his 9,175-square-foot home and downtown offices in an investigation the details of which they declined to disclose.

Investigators for a Texas House committee testified this week that Paul had asked his friend, Paxton, to help him find details of federal investigations, a possible violation of state open records laws.

Mr. Paul is currently facing a large number of bankruptcy proceedings and lawsuits.

Forbes called it a “real estate prodigy” in 2017 when he was 30 years old, estimating that his company owned $1.2 billion in real estate assets. He founded the company, World Class Holdings, in 2007 and 10 years later had amassed 10 million square feet of retail space, including a large inventory of self-storage facilities, according to Forbes.

His business was based in part on buying cheap property with low interest rates in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. He eventually expanded his empire to at least 17 states, from California to New York.

But the various investigations into Mr. Paul have been accompanied by financial setbacks. According to The Austin Business Journal, at least 18 entities connected to World Class Holdings have filed for bankruptcy.

In March, Mr. Paul narrowly avoided spending 10 days in jail for contempt of court in a civil fraud case brought by an Austin nonprofit that had invested in one of his companies; an appeals court granted him a stay. Mr. Paul has denied any wrongdoing in the case and has also complained that the FBI raid was illegal and without justification.

Your request for Mr. Paxton’s help on that matter is one of the key elements of the impeachment case against the attorney general.

Mr. Paxton not only arranged a meeting between Mr. Paul and the local district attorney’s office, but also appointed a special prosecutor to investigate Mr. Paul’s allegations about law enforcement, according to investigators who testified before a committee of the Texas House of Representatives.

The attorney general’s intervention on his friend’s behalf alarmed lawyers in his office, who then filed a whistleblowing complaint. It also emerged that Mr. Paxton had recommended a potential employee to Mr. Paul, a woman with whom Mr. Paxton was in a relationship, and was subsequently hired at Mr. Paul’s company as a project manager, according to a statement in a court case.

Allegations also surfaced from members of Mr. Paxton’s staff that Mr. Paul assisted Mr. Paxton with renovations to his home, including $20,000 worth of new granite countertops. In legal filings, the complainants said that Mr. Paul “either personally or through a construction company that he owns and controls” assisted in the redevelopment project.

Mr. Paxton also retained outside counsel, who referred to himself as a special prosecutor, to investigate, among other things, the FBI raid on Mr. Paul’s home and office. The hiring occurred over the objections of Paxton staff members, who said it would be inappropriate.

david montgomery contributed reporting.

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Sara Marcus
Sara Marcushttps://unlistednews.com
Meet Sara Marcus, our newest addition to the Unlisted News team! Sara is a talented author and cultural critic, whose work has appeared in a variety of publications. Sara's writing style is characterized by its incisiveness and thought-provoking nature, and her insightful commentary on music, politics, and social justice is sure to captivate our readers. We are thrilled to have her join our team and look forward to sharing her work with our readers.
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