An aide impeached Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton referred to as his “second son” has emerged as a key part in the impeachment of the beleaguered Texas Republican, having witnessed Paxton planning the renovation of his house that was allegedly paid for by a wealthy benefactor, the Texas Tribune reports.

Drew Wicker was present during a meeting between Paxton and a home renovation contractor where Paxton was gushing of $20,000 of marble countertops that he wanted installed in his home.  The contractor repeated noted he’d have to talk with “Nate”–believed to be real estate developer Nate Paul, who had cases before the Attorney General’s office–implying he would have to get Paul’s approval for the cost.  Wicker took the statements to mean Paul would be the one picking up the tab, and he asked Paxton about it later; Paxton assured the aide he would be paying for the renovation.

That doesn’t seem to be what happened, though.  According to documents filed in Paxton’s impeachment, Paxton didn’t pay a dollar for the granite countertops or for tens of thousands of dollars of other renovations done to the house owned by Paxton and his wife, a Republican Texas state senator. 

Admirably, Wicker didn’t seem to have a problem spilling the beans on Paxton.  “I’m going to give you the best recollection, and then I’m going to trust that the evidence points where it shall,” Wicker told investigators during an interview according to a transcript. “And if that ends up being that (Paxton) conducted illegal business, then I love the man all the same and I hope that that gets adjusted, but he also needs to be held to account.”