Ken Paxton faces scrutiny over AI campaign ads and ethics allegations

Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton is facing scrutiny over both his campaign tactics and financial disclosures.

Paxton’s campaign released an AI-generated attack ad titled ‘King James’ targeting Democratic nominee James Talarico. The advertisement uses a synthetic version of Talarico to recite a compilation of past comments regarding religion and gender. Talarico, a state representative, has criticized the ad for putting words in his mouth, noting that while some phrases were based on real statements, the context was altered and some lines were entirely fabricated.

Separately, investigative reports from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune allege that Paxton may have violated federal ethics laws regarding financial disclosures. The reports indicate that Paxton failed to report income from seven properties worth approximately $5.2 million and omitted mortgages on several condos in Utah. These findings follow a history of allegations regarding his asset disclosures, including a 2023 impeachment in the Texas House.