Ken Paxton omits rental income and mortgages from financial disclosures, obscuring his wealth

Federal ethics rules require candidates to report income they receive and disclose mortgages on properties beyond their personal residence. Paxton's filings apparently left both out, raising questions about how fully the public can assess his financial picture heading into the race.

Ethics experts told the Tribune the omissions are not a gray area. Rental income counts as reportable income, and mortgages on non-primary properties have to be listed. Paxton's disclosures, as filed, do not appear to meet that standard.

For voters here in Lubbock and across Texas, the practical effect is a statewide candidate running without a complete picture of what he owns, what he earns from those properties, and what he owes. Financial disclosures exist precisely so the public can weigh whether a candidate's private interests might conflict with the job they're seeking.

Texas already has a complicated recent history with Paxton, who faced impeachment by the state House last year before the Senate acquitted him, making this latest disclosure question another layer on top of a long-running accountability debate.