Ken Paxton Dubai Video: Donor at the Party Was Arrested in Belgrade 11 Months Later, Court Filings Show

A donor filmed partying with Ken Paxton in Dubai on New Year's Eve 2024 landed in custody 11 months later, court filings show. Serbian media reports place the arrest in Belgrade. Anosh Ahmed, a former hospital boss, gave Paxton $190,000 (£144,000), including $25,000 (£18,900), days after his 2024 indictment, records show.

Paxton, the Republican nominee for a US Senate seat in Texas, faces voters on 3 November. A 37-second video The Wall Street Journal obtained shows him with his girlfriend, Tracy Duhon, along with Ahmed and businessman Sameer Suhail. Footage of the party emerged three weeks before polling day.

Inside the New Year's Eve Clip

The Journal says court filings describe the footage, and people familiar with the matter confirmed it. The clip shows fireworks bursting over the Burj Khalifa as the group stands on a high-rise balcony. Recent public polls have shown Paxton's Democratic rival, James Talarico, narrowly ahead. His campaign posted the clip on Tuesday, 13 October, as shown below, writing that 'the fugitives were charged with healthcare fraud and helped bankroll Paxton's campaign.' The post conflates separate cases. Ahmed also faced charges over alleged COVID-19 testing fraud, while the 2024 case against Ahmed and Suhail concerned alleged hospital embezzlement. The cited donation records attribute the $190,000 to Ahmed.

Ahmed's 2024 indictment, unsealed that July, accuses him and Suhail of embezzling $15 million (£11.3 million) from Chicago's Loretto Hospital. Paxton adviser Nick Maddux defended the candidate's record but did not address the trip or the money directly. Texas lawmakers impeached Paxton in 2023 over claims he used his office to help a different donor. State senators acquitted him of all charges. No report accuses Paxton of any crime over the trip.

From a Fireworks Balcony to a Serbian Cell

Prosecutors learned of Ahmed's arrest on 30 November 2025, according to a January filing. Serbia acted on an Interpol Red Notice, an international arrest alert. By 30 December, a Serbian judge had refused his bid to wait in a Belgrade hotel. The United States sent its extradition request on 23 January, and the filing said Ahmed 'remains in custody in Serbia, pending extradition.' A Belgrade court approved his extradition on 8 July, Nova.rs reported.

In Chicago, US District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ruled on 16 July that Ahmed was a fugitive by law. That ruling stopped him from joining co-defendants who wanted the case thrown out. Ahmed later returned to America, prosecutors said, and on 31 August, held in a Chicago jail, he pleaded not guilty to a new 15-count indictment. Coleman told Ahmed she was 'glad to see you here in the flesh,' WTTW News reported.

Where the Fraud Cases Stand

The new charges centre on alleged COVID-19 testing fraud. The original June 2025 indictment alleged Ahmed and others sought about $894 million (£676 million) for tests and received roughly $293 million (£222 million). At prosecutors' request, a judge dismissed charges against two co-defendants after their prosecutor faced misconduct claims in another case.

Ahmed's lawyer, former US Attorney Dan Webb, said in August he may join that dismissal bid or change the plea. He is trying to resolve the case 'reasonably quickly.' Ahmed and Suhail deny the embezzlement charges. Suhail's lawyer told the Journal that his client returned voluntarily after resolving civil matters in Dubai.