Video shows Paxton partying in Dubai with 2 indicted US fugitives, report says
Texas Republican Senate candidate, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton attends the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on September 09, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images)
DALLAS - A new video uncovered by the Wall Street Journal on Monday shows Texas Attorney General and current Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton partying in Dubai with two men described as U.S. fugitives.
The WSJ reported that Paxton celebrated New Year's Eve 2024 in Dubai with his girlfriend, Tracy Duhon, and two Americans who had been indicted on federal healthcare-fraud charges and not returned to the U.S. Details of the event were contained in court filings and confirmed by people familiar with the matter, according to the Journal.
Who are the ‘fugitives’ with Ken Paxton?
The two men at the event, filmed on a balcony overlooking fireworks at Burj Khalifa, were Anosh Ahmed and Sameer Suhail. Both were indicted in federal court in Illinois in 2024 on charges that they embezzled $15 million from a Chicago hospital where Ahmed was chief financial officer. Ahmed was later indicted for his role in an alleged fraudulent COVID-19 testing scheme.
Ahmed made donations to Paxton totaling $190,000, including $25,000 days after being indicted, based on campaign finance records reviewed by the Journal.
Both men have since returned to the U.S. to face charges. Ahmed is in custody, while Suhail's attorney said civil matters in Dubai had impacted Suhail's ability to travel after the indictment and that he returned voluntarily once they were resolved, according to the Journal.
In a statement to the Journal, Paxton senior political advisor Nick Maddux did not directly address the trip.
What they're saying:
"Like President Trump, Ken Paxton has been politically persecuted for years, and every time, voters have seen through it and sent him back to office because they know he has always fought for Texas," Maddux said.
The other side:
Paxton's Senate opponent, Democrat James Talarico, weighed in on the trip on X.
"A party with multiple fugitives and Ken Paxton is still the sketchiest guy in the room," Talarico said.
Who leads the Texas Senate race?
Big picture view:
The video and report come a week before early voting begins in Texas.
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Polls have shown the hotly contested U.S. Senate race in Texas is in a dead heat.
Recent polling has shown Talarico leading the expensive and contentious Senate race as he looks to do something no other Texas Democrat has done in more than 30 years: win a statewide race.
The Source: Information about Ken Paxton's New Year's Eve trip to Dubai comes from a report by the Wall Street Journal published on Oct. 12, 2026. Comments from James Talarico were made on social media platform, X. Information on the two men facing charges comes from the Wall Street Journal article and previous reporting by FOX 32 Chicago.