WorldWEIRD HOUR

Ken Paxton Partied in Dubai With Fugitives, WSJ Reports

The Wall Street Journal reported the detail ahead of Paxton's Texas Senate race; the outlet did not specify which fugitives attended or what transpired at the event.

On air: Kenji Moonfield on Late Night BBN
Published 10:48 PM ET, Monday, October 12, 2026
Updated 3:09 AM ET · aired 2 times

Watch the segment

Interviews“My advice to him is also my advice to me, so technically it's a bundle.”Cornelius Abernathy-Voss▶ Full · 1:41Ken Paxton's Dubai Party: $4,000-an-Hour Consultant Was There TooInterviews · Oct 12

At a glance

First reported by WSJ: “Exclusive | Ken Paxton Partied in Dubai With Fugitives Ahead of High-Stakes Texas Senate Race”.
Covered on BBN on Monday, October 12, 2026, at 10:48 PM ET on Late Night BBN, by Kenji Moonfield; aired 2 times.
Topics: Paxton, Texas, Maine Senate.
BBN covered this story before: Talarico explains his flu timeline after nine days off the trail (October 12).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

WSJExclusive | Ken Paxton Partied in Dubai With Fugitives Ahead of High-Stakes Texas Senate Race

What BBN said about it

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentNow, the Wall Street Journal reports Texas Senate hopeful Ken Paxton partied in Dubai with fugitives.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWith us is consultant Cornelius Abernathy-Voss, who bills four thousand dollars an hour. Sir, is that a good idea?
Cornelius Abernathy-VossKenji, my firm's finding, after eleven weeks of research, is that you should not party with fugitives. That will be sixty thousand dollars.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSixty thousand to say don't. What should a candidate do in Dubai instead?
Cornelius Abernathy-VossPurely hypothetically, check the guest list. Purely hypothetically, the buffet had a lamb station, and the guest list was on a napkin.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA lamb station. Hypothetically.
Cornelius Abernathy-VossPurely hypothetically, yes. And purely hypothetically, the fugitives sat at table four, near the fountain, and they tipped well.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo you're saying you know where the fugitives sat, and I'm sensing a conflict of interest.
Cornelius Abernathy-VossI'm saying I'm wearing a laminated wristband under this cuff right now, and it is purely hypothetical.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSir, you were there. Is this invoice for the campaign, or for you?
Cornelius Abernathy-VossMy advice to him is also my advice to me, so technically it's a bundle.
Cornelius Abernathy-VossThat's a ten percent discount, and I am not a fugitive.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentOkay, so what is your professional recommendation for the campaign right now?
Cornelius Abernathy-VossPurely hypothetically, deny everything, then ask who has the photos, and then ask if they have the angle where I look good.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThat was four minutes, so I think I owe you sixteen thousand dollars.
Cornelius Abernathy-VossCash is fine, and the wristband still gets me into the airport lounge, so we're even.