Ken Paxton Can’t Even Get His Own Lawyer’s Vote

Texas Attorney General turned GOP candidate for Senate Ken Paxton has had a rough go of it when it comes to loyalty from the people closest to him (which, honestly should give anyone considering voting for him pause). His wife is divorcing him, and her endorsement list conspicuously skipped his Senate race. And now his own lawyer, the guy who defended him through both his impeachment trial and his years-long securities fraud case, is endorsing the Democrat.

Dan Cogdell, a Houston-based criminal defense attorney who has represented Paxton through some of the most legally perilous stretches of his career, told NOTUS that his former client “has lost sight of his core mission, which is to represent the people of Texas.” Cogdell is backing Democratic nominee James Talarico, saying, “I believe to my core that James Talarico believes in unity over division and that he knows how to assemble not only Democrats, but Independents and Republicans, and we need that right now.”

This is quite the story, we have Paxton’s own lawyer affirmatively campaigning for the opposition — and putting his money where his mouth is. Campaign finance records show Cogdell donated $6,500 to Paxton’s campaign last year before cutting a $1,000 check to Talarico in March.

Cogdell has been making his political views increasingly public. He called Trump “the greatest threat to Democracy our country’s ever seen,” a quote the National Republican Senatorial Committee actually weaponized in a since-deleted attack ad calling Cogdell “a liberal Trump-hating trial lawyer.” (You’ll recall the NRSC has been furiously scrubbing its anti-Paxton content since the primary.)

Talarico, for his part, is leaning into it, “If you voted for John Cornyn, you have a place in this campaign,” he said in a statement. “If you’re a Republican tired of the corruption you’re seeing in government, you have a place in this campaign. Even if you’re Ken Paxton’s impeachment lawyer, you have a place in this campaign.”

Meanwhile, a minor update on the home front: the Paxtons’ June 24 divorce trial has been canceled. Ken Paxton’s attorneys say “the parties have made substantial progress toward an amicable resolution of all issues and remain engaged in productive discussions,” and are optimistic a final agreement will be reached soon. The spectacular public airing of adultery allegations we’d been promised will apparently have to wait — or not happen at all, which is very convenient timing for a general election candidate.

Texas Attorney General turned GOP candidate for Senate Ken Paxton has had a rough go of it when it comes to loyalty from the people closest to him (which, honestly should give anyone considering voting for him pause). His wife is divorcing him, and her endorsement list conspicuously skipped his Senate race. And now his own lawyer, the guy who defended him through both his impeachment trial and his years-long securities fraud case, is endorsing the Democrat.

Dan Cogdell, a Houston-based criminal defense attorney who has represented Paxton through some of the most legally perilous stretches of his career, told NOTUS that his former client “has lost sight of his core mission, which is to represent the people of Texas.” Cogdell is backing Democratic nominee James Talarico, saying, “I believe to my core that James Talarico believes in unity over division and that he knows how to assemble not only Democrats, but Independents and Republicans, and we need that right now.”

This is quite the story, we have Paxton’s own lawyer affirmatively campaigning for the opposition — and putting his money where his mouth is. Campaign finance records show Cogdell donated $6,500 to Paxton’s campaign last year before cutting a $1,000 check to Talarico in March.

Cogdell has been making his political views increasingly public. He called Trump “the greatest threat to Democracy our country’s ever seen,” a quote the National Republican Senatorial Committee actually weaponized in a since-deleted attack ad calling Cogdell “a liberal Trump-hating trial lawyer.” (You’ll recall the NRSC has been furiously scrubbing its anti-Paxton content since the primary.)

Talarico, for his part, is leaning into it, “If you voted for John Cornyn, you have a place in this campaign,” he said in a statement. “If you’re a Republican tired of the corruption you’re seeing in government, you have a place in this campaign. Even if you’re Ken Paxton’s impeachment lawyer, you have a place in this campaign.”

Meanwhile, a minor update on the home front: the Paxtons’ June 24 divorce trial has been canceled. Ken Paxton’s attorneys say “the parties have made substantial progress toward an amicable resolution of all issues and remain engaged in productive discussions,” and are optimistic a final agreement will be reached soon. The spectacular public airing of adultery allegations we’d been promised will apparently have to wait — or not happen at all, which is very convenient timing for a general election candidate.

Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Bluesky @Kathryn1