Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton rose to power as a champion of religious liberty, building a passionate following through alliances with conservative Christian leaders and an emphasis on his fundamentalist faith.
But his support from Christian conservatives — long the most devoted part of his base — may be fraying in the lead-up to his impeachment trial next week. At the center of the case is a charge that the third-term Republican lined up work with a donor for a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair.
Though the relationship surfaced more than two years ago, the impeachment proceedings have thrust it into public view more than ever before.
“When I think of someone cheating on their wife, I think of the relationship I have with mine, how valuable God says that is, and I picture throwing all of it away for selfish self-gratification,” said Derrick Wilson, a Republican activist from the Fort Worth area who was recently elected chairman of ...
