Jed Leonard

Retired, world traveler, nature lover, Ex-technology geek, political junkie, wanderer, living life to the fullest. 🇺🇸🦅

[Maria Shriver @mariashriver]

Tides are changing—actually, they’ve already changed.

[Miya Shay @miyashay]

Neil Bush, brother of one President Bush & son of another President Bush, just posted that he voted for @JamesTalarico. Neil still lives in the same neighborhood as father did for decades here in Houston.

[Democratic Wins Media @DemocraticWins]

BREAKING: The Dallas Morning News just announced they are endorsing James Talarico over Ken Paxton. The Dallas Morning News had previously endorsed Senator John Cornyn in every race he ever ran. This is amazing.

[Adam Mockler @adammocklerr]

He’s so damn good at this.

[Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 @AdamKinzinger]

Great ad

[Stuart Stevens @stuartpstevens]

This is a beautiful ad, brilliantly conceived and executed.

It’s also how you lose an election.

If this race isn’t a referendum on Trump/Paxton, then the piece of shit Paxton will win.

I love these kinds of ads but they are why the first hit of crack is free.

Attack. Attack. Attack.

The Lincoln Project’s plea to Democrats:

https://t.co/8mxZzr80ze

[James Talarico @jamestalarico]

Elon Musk is trying to buy this Senate seat in Texas.

He wants our land, he wants our water, and he wants his own personal U.S. senator. He’s trying to buy Texas.

But on November 3rd, we’ll deliver a clear message to the world’s first trillionaire: Texas is not for sale.

[Rick Wilson @TheRickWilson]

This is one of the finest, most powerful television ads I've every seen. Do American a favor and share this everywhere.

Heart, not policy papers.
Love, not hate.
Hope, not fear.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

[David Axelrod @davidaxelrod]

"Hope built this place...and hope still lives here."
This is a beautiful, impactful message and video from @JamesTalarico.
He is playing against the hateful tenor of our times, and betting on Texans to reject an onslaught of hundreds of millions of dollars in negative ads, paid for by @ElonMusk, @MAGA Inc. and others on behalf of Ken Paxton.

[Andrew Arenge @MrArenge]

NEW AD: James Talarico's campaign just started running this ad on Google. It's entitled "Experience"

Notable that the ad flashes "Never given an Epstein style deal" on the screen as Talarico says "I've never given a sweetheart deal to a pedophile."

#TXSen

[Brian Krassenstein @krassenstein]

If you are in Texas and you are considering Voting for Ken Paxton, please just read this post in full before making your final decision:

Everyone else, please share.

Financial misconduct and corruption allegations
- Violated Texas securities law (2014). State regulators reprimanded Paxton and fined him $1,000 for soliciting investment clients without the required registration. This was an established regulatory violation.

- Indicted on three felony charges (2015). Prosecutors accused him of securities fraud and acting as an unregistered investment adviser representative. He denied wrongdoing.

- Accused of misleading investors about commissions. Prosecutors alleged he recruited investors into technology company Servergy without disclosing that he was being compensated.

- Agreed to pay nearly $300,000 to resolve the securities fraud prosecution (2024). His pretrial agreement required restitution, community service and legal ethics education. The criminal charges were subsequently dismissed without a conviction or admission of guilt.

- Impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House (2023). The House approved 20 articles alleging bribery, abuse of office and other misconduct. The Texas Senate subsequently acquitted him on the 16 articles considered at trial.

- Accused of using the attorney general's office to help wealthy donor Nate Paul. Former senior aides alleged that Paxton intervened in legal matters involving Paul, who had donated to his campaign.

- Accused of using government authority against a donor's enemies. House investigators alleged Paxton pursued investigations targeting people involved in disputes with Paul.

- Accused of interfering with federal investigations. Former aides alleged that Paxton tried to obtain confidential investigative information concerning Paul and obstruct cooperation with law enforcement.

- Accused of accepting expensive home renovations from a donor. Investigators alleged Paul helped fund major renovations to Paxton's Austin home, raising potential bribery questions.

- Accused of making a $122,000 payment to conceal the renovations. Impeachment managers alleged that Paxton transferred money to a Paul-associated company after his relationship with Paul came under investigation. These accusations were not established by a criminal conviction.

Whistleblowers, secrecy and alleged retaliation
- Reported to the FBI by his own senior officials (2020). Seven senior aides reported concerns about possible corruption involving Paxton and Nate Paul.

- Fired or lost multiple whistleblowers. Several officials who raised concerns were fired, resigned or were placed on leave. They alleged unlawful retaliation.

- Agreed to a $3.3 million whistleblower settlement in 2023. Paxton's office negotiated a settlement with four former employees. His request for legislative funding to cover it helped trigger the impeachment investigation. The proposed settlement was not proof of wrongdoing.

- Accused of using a burner phone and secret email accounts. Impeachment investigators alleged he used these methods to conceal communications and meetings with Paul.

- Accused of using a fake name for Uber trips. Investigators alleged an alias was used to conceal trips involving Paul and visits to a woman with whom Paxton was having an affair.

- Accused of avoiding his security detail to conceal activities. House impeachment managers alleged he evaded normal protective arrangements to keep certain meetings and movements secret.

Personal scandals and questionable associations

- Admitted having an extramarital affair. His relationship with a former Senate staffer became a significant issue during impeachment proceedings.

- Accused of benefiting from his donor employing his mistress. Investigators alleged Nate Paul hired the woman with whom Paxton was having an affair, potentially creating a personal benefit linked to official favors.

- His wife filed for divorce citing adultery (2025). State Sen. Angela Paxton filed for divorce after more than 30 years of marriage. The proceedings were subsequently sealed.

- Celebrated New Year's 2025 in Dubai with indicted businessmen. Video showed Paxton at a party with Anosh Ahmed and Sameer Suhail, who were facing federal fraud charges and were outside the United States. Both have pleaded not guilty.

- Accepted approximately $190,000 from a businessman later indicted for fraud. Ahmed contributed that amount to Paxton's political operation, reportedly including $25,000 after his indictment. Accepting a lawful political contribution is not itself proof of misconduct.

- Received a major contribution from a businessman linked to Chinese investment. An October 20, 2026 report identified a $150,000 contribution from Wan Bridge cofounder Ting Qiao, despite Paxton's campaign rhetoric about Chinese influence. The donor connection does not establish an illegal contribution.

Election-related controversies
- Attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Paxton filed a Supreme Court lawsuit seeking to invalidate presidential election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—four states Biden won.

- Promoted unsubstantiated election-fraud allegations. His 2020 lawsuit relied on claims that did not withstand scrutiny. The Supreme Court dismissed the case for lack of standing.

- Faced a State Bar investigation over his election lawsuit. Texas legal disciplinary authorities scrutinized his efforts to overturn the election. The investigation itself is not a finding of professional misconduct.

[Jake Sherman @JakeSherman]

New Talarico ad running statewide:

"Ken Paxton says, I don't have his experience, and he's right.

"I've never been indicted for fraud. I've never been reported to the FBI for bribery. I've never been impeached by my own party, and I've never given a sweetheart deal to a pedophile.

"I have a different kind of experience. I've worked with both parties to cap the cost of insulin and pass the largest property tax cut in Texas history. I'm James Tallarico and I approve this message because we need a different kind of experience in Washington."

[Hillary Clinton @HillaryClinton]

Ten years ago today.

In just the last few days: Trump made a deal for the U.S. to buy Russian diesel, an economic lifeline for Putin; he and Elon Musk blamed each other for an order that slowed down Starlink satellite connectivity over Ukraine, hampering the country's defenses during a devastating Russian attack; and Trump waived sanctions on Russia that Congress, led by his late friend Lindsey Graham, had pushed for.

Now, Putin has proposed a summit with Trump and Xi to decide Ukraine’s fate for them, bulldoze a century of international cooperation, and frame Russia as an equal to the U.S. and China.

We’ll see if Putin’s puppet continues to dance on his strings.

[Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan]

Not a word on Twitter still about the flagrantly authoritarian and racist raid on Ilhan Omar’s home by the Trump administration from multiple top Democrats, including shamefully @SenSchumer, but glad Barack Obama is finally speaking out on it. Other Dems should follow his lead.

[Jed Leonard @Jed_Leonard1]

@Lee_in_Iowa @atrupar They also aren’t eating the cats and dogs either

[Barack Obama @BarackObama]

It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say. But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

To understand why this is so appalling, it’s important to know the facts. Congresswoman Omar came to this country with her father when she was 12 years old. Five years later, her father became a naturalized citizen. If Ilhan had been 18 at the time, she would have had to apply for citizenship separately. But because she was 17, she became a naturalized citizen automatically.

Congresswoman Omar went on to graduate from college, work as a community organizer, become the first Somali-American legislator elected to public office in the U.S., and win a seat in Congress. There, she has been one of the Trump Administration’s fiercest critics, which has led the president to repeatedly single her out as someone who he believes does not belong in this country.

Now the Administration is actively trying to deport Congresswoman Omar, seemingly based solely on the unsubstantiated theory that she was actually 18 when her father was naturalized, and therefore is not a citizen. Federal agents have raided her home, confiscated personal records, and seized her phone — all to try and uncover a nonexistent smoking gun from 20 years ago that will somehow make their case.

Think about that. The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president. And it’s not the first time this has happened. Under President Trump, the Justice Department has repeatedly gone after those he considers his political enemies — from the Attorney General of New York, to the former head of the FBI, to members of the Federal Reserve.

In those cases, the prosecutions either stalled or were dismissed for having no basis in law, and the same is likely to happen in this case. But not before Congresswoman Omar’s life has been turned upside down, her legal bills have piled up, and she’s been forced to spend time fighting unsubstantiated charges instead of serving the people of Minnesota.

The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views. Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.

[Team Talarico @TeamTalaricoHQ]

omg The Chicks just brought out James Talarico on stage 👀

[Maga Signal @MagaSignalNews]

I never once remember a protest against Joe Biden like this. This is Boston. No Kings Protest.

Oh that’s right Joe Biden didn’t think he was a king. He just wanted to make America better for everyone.

[Flying Dutch Fella 🇺🇦🇳🇱🇪🇺 🇬🇪🇨🇦🇬🇱 @FlyingDutchPall]

Weird, I don’t see much of this on Twitter.

Spread the word ✌️

[Josh Turek @turek4iowa]

Pulled my wheelchair up steps and knocked doors today with Senator Tom Harkin in Ottumwa.

I won my first race by 6 votes. I did it by knocking doors rain or shine, talking to voters, and listening.

That’s how we’ll win this one too. Join us: https://t.co/vi8EqlLIR7