Suspended Texas AG Ken Paxton reportedly went to China with other AGs on a secret trip where they met with government officials, despite his staff’s warnings about the appearance of Chinese Communist influence.
According to a schedule for the mysterious 10-day trip that Fox examined, participants from the Attorney General Alliance (AGA) and the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG) visited the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Macau.
A person familiar with the trip but wished to remain anonymous said his first thought was it was a terrible decision. They said it is never a good time for a law enforcement official from the United States to visit China.
A source claims that Paxton, who went on the trip with his state senator wife Angela, ignored the advice of his staff and went nonetheless, despite their fears about government influence and monitoring.
According to the data, the AGA and CWAG provided Paxton and the other AGs with lavish accommodations and travel. Republican Paxton and Democratic then-Attorney General Clare Connors of Hawaii met with their Chinese government and business sector counterparts.
Several others, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution, confirmed that the trip and documents were legitimate. Their names have been concealed for security reasons.
The group also included the former attorneys general of Arizona, New Mexico, North Dakota, Connecticut, and Utah.
Records show that attendees, including Connors and Brnovich, reported the trip as required by their home states’ disclosure laws.
Along with AGA Executive Director Karen White, the tour featured high-ranking representatives from Microsoft, Juul, Alibaba, and other businesses and law firms.
The delegation’s trip began at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beijing, where the AGs met with federal court officials and Chinese prosecutors. They visited Microsoft’s headquarters and Tiananmen Square, among other sites, and met with the chief counsel of the state-run China State Construction and Engineering.
The party visited Hangzhou, China, and stayed at a Sheraton resort there. The highlight of their short stay in the city was a whole day spent touring the offices of Alibaba, a multibillion-dollar e-commerce site that the Chinese government rigorously regulates.
The group allegedly flew to Shanghai, checking into the Waldorf Astoria. They planned to stop in the city to meet with lawyers from Squire Patton Boggs Shanghai.
Macau was part of their final hours of travel, and they stayed in the Venetian Macau.
