Ken Paxton attended Dubai New Year's Eve party with two US fugitives

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton attended a New Year's Eve party on December 31, 2024 in Dubai with two federal healthcare fraud fugitives, Anosh Ahmed and Sameer Suhail, along with his girlfriend Tracy Duhon. Video reported by The Wall Street Journal revealed Paxton watching fireworks with Ahmed, who donated $190,000 to Paxton's political campaigns, including $25,000 shortly after his 2024 indictment. Republican candidate Paxton faces Democratic nominee James Talarico in a tight November 2026 U.S. Senate race.

Dubai New Year's Eve party

• ▪Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spent New Year's Eve on December 31, 2024 at a high-rise balcony party in Dubai with his girlfriend Tracy Duhon and fugitives Anosh Ahmed and Sameer Suhail.
• ▪Mobile phone video obtained by The Wall Street Journal showed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton watching New Year's fireworks over Dubai alongside Anosh Ahmed, Sameer Suhail, and Tracy Duhon.
• ▪Campaign adviser Nick Maddux stated that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has faced political persecution for years similar to Donald Trump, declining to directly address the Dubai gathering.

Federal charges against Anosh Ahmed

• ▪A federal grand jury in Illinois indicted Anosh Ahmed and Sameer Suhail in 2024 on charges of embezzling $15 million from Loretto Hospital in Chicago.
• ▪Anosh Ahmed pleaded not guilty to additional federal charges alleging a $195 million fraudulent government payment scheme involving COVID-19 testing.
• ▪Anosh Ahmed was arrested in Serbia on November 30, 2025 following a global Red Notice alert before returning to United States custody.

Anosh Ahmed's donations to Ken Paxton

• ▪Former Loretto Hospital officer Anosh Ahmed contributed $25,000 to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton days after being federally indicted on healthcare fraud charges in 2024.
• ▪Campaign finance records show former healthcare executive Anosh Ahmed donated $190,000 to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's political campaigns.

Donald Trump's endorsement of Ken Paxton

• ▪Advisers warned Donald Trump prior to his May 2026 endorsement that damaging personal disclosures regarding Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton would emerge during the general election campaign.
• ▪Donald Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in May 2026, helping Paxton defeat incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Texas Republican U.S. Senate primary election.

James Talarico's Senate campaign

• ▪Democratic Representative James Talarico consistently maintained a narrow lead over Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in public opinion polling for the November 2026 Texas U.S. Senate election.
• ▪Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico criticized Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over his international travel history and personal wealth accumulated while holding public office.

Debatable claims

• ▪Media and legal scrutiny of Ken Paxton is driven by political persecution
• ▪Donald Trump should have withheld endorsing Ken Paxton over reported personal scandals
• ▪Retaining campaign donations from federally indicted donors violates public ethical standards