District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry speaks to media with his attorney, David Christian, after a plea deal on his drunken driving and hit-and-run cases, Friday, April 14, 2023. He was given 12 months of probation and must pay a $500 fee and court costs. He must also perform 24 hours of community service.
Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News
mySA
Warren Brown, mySanAntonio.com
A surprise connection between former San Antonio District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry and impeached Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton came into focus Monday, June 5. Paxton's mistress in
his alleged 2019 affair is now known to be Laura Olson, with whom Perry has a history with in an on-again-off-again relationship, the New York Post reports.
Olson is closely linked to Paxton's impeachment as she was allegedly hired by Nate Paul, an Austin developer and major donor to Paxton. The attorney general is accused of giving preferential treatment to Paul, while also providing him with access to FBI documents after a raid on the developer's home and businesses in 2019.
While the affair crossed no legal lines, an alleged quid pro quo arrangement between Paul and Paxton for her job in Austin has led to accusations of corruption.
“Nate Paul giving his mistress a job means that he no longer has to drive back and forth from San Antonio to see her, and it makes her more convenient [if she is] here in Austin,” said Texas Rep. Ann Johnson during impeachment proceedings on Saturday, May 27.
Olson has been a member of the group Bexar County Republican Women for years, the Post reported, and is seen in a social media photo with Gov. Greg Abbott in what appears to be a backyard. In another photo, she's seen posing with a grinning Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at an event for a Republican candidate.
Perry was seen partying with Olson on a parade float during an event in this year's Fiesta celebration at the Texas Cavaliers River Parade on April 24. Perry, who did not run for reelection and was replaced on San Antonio's City Council by Marc Whyte on June 1, did not immediately respond to MySA's request for comment.
The former councilmember's political career ground to a halt in November 2022, after he consumed 14 alcoholic beverages within four hours at Evil Olive and then drove home. On route, he parked in a Bill Miller's drive-thru for roughly 10 minutes before leaving and committing a hit-and-run while driving home. He was found laying on the ground in his yard by a San Antonio Police Department officer.
Perry accepted a plea deal on April 14, on two misdemeanor charges, which were for driving while intoxicated and fleeing the scene of an accident. He was given a $500 fee for court costs, 24 hours of community service, and one year of probation.