Ken Paxton Allegedly Attended Dubai Party With Indicted Fugitives
News media is reporting that Texas Attorney General and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton is facing scrutiny following reports that he attended a New Year’s Eve celebration in Dubai with two men described as fugitives from U.S. justice.
The Wall Street Journal reported that video from the December 31, 2024, gathering shows Paxton and his girlfriend, Tracy Duhon, watching fireworks from a high-rise balcony overlooking Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Healthcare executives Anosh Ahmed and Sameer Suhail were also reportedly present.
Federal court in Illinois indicted both men months earlier. Prosecutors accused them and a third defendant of participating in a scheme that allegedly diverted more than $15 million from a Chicago hospital through fraudulent vendor payments. Ahmed later faced charges related to an alleged COVID-19 testing fraud scheme.
The criminal allegations remain unresolved. Ahmed and Suhail have since returned to the United States and pleaded not guilty. Ahmed is reportedly in custody. An attorney for Suhail told the Journal that civil matters in Dubai had prevented him from traveling and that he returned voluntarily after those issues were resolved.
Campaign-finance records reviewed by the Journal reportedly show Ahmed contributed $190,000 to Paxton’s political campaign, including $25,000 shortly after his indictment.
Paxton’s senior adviser, Nick Maddux, did not directly address the Dubai gathering, instead saying Paxton has faced years of political persecution and that voters continue supporting him because of his record fighting for Texas. Paxton’s campaign also did not respond to requests for comment from KSAT.
Democratic Senate opponent James Talarico criticized Paxton over the report, which surfaced as their watched Texas Senate contest approaches early voting.
The video does not establish that Paxton committed a crime or knew the men’s legal status. However, critics say the reported gathering raises serious questions about the judgment and associations of Texas’ top law-enforcement official.
Neither man has been convicted, and all persons are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.