Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is running to represent the Lone Star State in the U.S. Senate.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore A 2019 legal opinion by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton enabling payday loan companies to charge sky-high interest rates came after he raked in major campaign contributions from the industry, documents obtained by the Current show.

Paxton's ruling has been widely criticized by consumer groups, who argue it opened up a loophole in state law that subjected vulnerable borrowers to loans with annual interest rates (APRs) as high as 846%.