Paxton’s Delinquent Hawaii, Utah Property Taxes
Gabby Birenbaum
The Texas Tribune
September 4, 2025
Attorney General Ken Paxton has been a delinquent taxpayer multiple times on two properties in other states, according to public records reviewed by The Texas Tribune, marking another potential liability for the beleaguered Senate candidate.
Paxton came under fire earlier this summer when The Associated Press reported that he claimed three homes as his primary residence, enabling him to secure lower interest rates than what he would have paid had he properly listed two of the homes as secondary or investment properties. The issue quickly made it into a number of campaign ads from Sen. John Cornyn, who is looking to fend off a primary challenge from Paxton next March.
The attorney general also owns real estate outside Texas, operated through a blind trust created by Paxton and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, in 2015 to hold their assets. Among the trust’s holdings are a lot in Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui, and land in Eden, Utah, in the Ogden Valley, a ski resort community. Both properties are held by the Esther Blind Trust, which lists Ken Paxton’s McKinney home as its mailing address. Paxton listed himself as a beneficiary of the trust on his state personal financial disclosure forms this year.
The Paxtons have been late to pay property taxes on both the Hawaii and Utah properties three times each, including this year’s bill in Hawaii, according to local property records.
In Maui, the Paxtons paid penalties in 2022 and 2024, totaling $411.45, due to their delinquency. This year, they owe $3,057.12 on their first of two tax bills, which was due on August 20. Maui County property records indicate the Paxtons have yet to pay their bill, the third late payment in four years since they bought the home in 2021.
A similar story played out with their Utah property. The Esther Blind Trust was listed on a Weber County log of delinquent taxpayers in 2023 and 2024. Property records indicate the Paxtons were 18 days late to pay their property taxes in 2023 and 28 days delinquent in 2024. In each case, the couple was assessed a penalty of about $20 on top of their tax bill of over $2,000. They also paid five days late in 2022 and were not penalized.
A Paxton campaign spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
The tax delinquency, first reported by the Tribune, is the latest in a series of homeownership-related headaches for Paxton. His buying spree of real estate outside Texas — such as these Hawaii and Utah properties — came under scrutiny during the Texas House’s 2023 impeachment investigation into Paxton. The lower chamber voted to impeach him, after which he was acquitted by the Senate.
Paxton had not disclosed the extent of his real estate holdings for years, only listing his McKinney home on his personal financial disclosure in 2024. This year, he listed eight properties, including seven held by the Esther Blind Trust.
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