According to reports, the Texas House investigation of impeached attorney general Ken Paxton now includes a series property purchases that he made while he was facing a federal probe on allegations that he had abused his position.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Paxton and his wife, along with a family trust, spent nearly $3.5million between July 2021 and April 2022 to purchase six properties in Oklahoma, Florida Utah and Hawaii. According to the Wall Street Journal, the timing and the amount of money attracted the attention of House Investigators.

Paxton’s top advisers told the FBI in late September 2020 that they thought he misused his office for the benefit of a wealthy Austin real estate investor Nate Paul, a campaign donor. These allegations are linked to the majority of the 20 articles that were approved by the House last month.

Tony Buzbee told the Journal, Paxton’s leading lawyer, that Paxton used “long-term saving from a brokerage” to invest in property at a low interest rate. Buzbee stated that “there is nothing else to it.”

Paxton was removed from office after the House voted for impeachment, and Governor Abbott appointed John Scott as interim attorney general. Greg Abbott named John Scott, a former Texas secretary-of-state, as interim attorney general.

The Texas Senate scheduled a trial for the 5th of September to determine whether or not Paxton should be permanently removed from office.

According to the new trial rules adopted by the Senate last week, the House may bring additional articles before the trial up to 30 calendar days in advance.

The Journal report sheds light on 12 subpoenas issued by the House General Investigating Committee on the second to last day of the regular session. According to Ken Paxton’s 2021 personal financial disclosure, he and his wife Angela Paxton (R-McKinney) are both beneficiaries of the Esther Blind Trust. Charles Loper was also served with a subpoena.

In the financial disclosure, it was also stated that the trust had been created in 2015 and has a “fair market value” of at least $46,580.

Ken Paxton and his wife reported that they owned four properties by 2021 – two in Austin and one each in McKinney, College Station and McKinney. The disclosure didn’t show any properties located outside of Texas.

Ken Paxton’s personal financial disclosure form for 2022 due on Friday

At least some of the Journal’s purchases are confirmed by local property tax records. In Maui County in Hawaii, records show that the trust has a parcel of property there valued at almost $600,000. While in Marion County in Florida, records show it owns an estate there worth over $200,000.