Paxton’s taxpayer-funded security detail cost about $2.8 million, including trips that coincided with political events

What happened

Department of Public Safety records obtained by the Texas Observer show Paxton’s security detail cost about $2.8 million from January 2015 through August 2025, with spending near $500,000 in 2024. ⁰¹

The costs include $80,000 for a trip to South Africa and $180,000 for a March 2023 tour of Europe and Israel. A February 2024 trip to Big Sky, Montana, costing $11,927, coincided with a Republican Attorneys General Association “Victory Fund Ski Retreat.” ⁰¹

After Paxton launched his Senate campaign in April 2025, the detail’s travel included Augusta, Georgia ($17,000), Palm Beach, Florida ($18,000) and Washington ($17,000). Neither his campaign nor his office responded to questions. ⁰¹

Why it matters

Taxpayers paid for security on trips that lined up with political fundraising and campaign-season travel, and Paxton has not said whether any of it was reimbursed. ⁰¹

What the sources show

The costs come from state police records. The Observer did not establish whether the travel was for campaign purposes or was reimbursed; the overlap with political events is based on timing. ⁰¹