The Texas House of Representatives voted Saturday to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton by a vote of 121 to 23. Paxton will now face a trial in the Texas Senate, where Paxton’s wife is a member, and has been suspended from office pending the upcoming trial, pursuant to Texas law.
Paxton responded to the impeachment vote, saying:
The ugly spectacle in the Texas House today confirmed the outrageous impeachment plot against me was never meant to be fair or just. It was a politically motivated sham from the beginning… I am beyond grateful to have the support of millions of Texans who recognize that what we just witnessed is illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust. I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just.
The impeachment, filed Thursday, alleges Paxton made legal decisions to benefit Nate Paul, an Austin real-estate developer who paid for Paxton’s home renovations and employed a woman with whom Paxton had an alleged affair. The articles of impeachment also allege that Paxton fired and retaliated against whistleblowers who threatened to reveal his financial relationship with Paul.
Paxton’s impeachment has been met with controversy, with Paxton’s political supporters claiming the allegations against him are false and politically motivated. The Republican Party of Texas supported Paxton and criticized House leader Dade Phelan, saying, “The sham impeachment is the result of the Phelan leadership team empowering Democrats, allowing them to hold leadership positions and letting them control the agenda.” Former President Donald Trump stated on his social media platform Truth Social that Phelan was “barely Republican at all.”
However, testimony from investigators before the Texas House General Investigating Committee, chaired by Republican Andrew Murr, substantiated the claims of bribery and impropriety. However, Paxton’s office claimed that the investigators’ testimony was based on “hearsay and gossip” and that an official from his office was prevented from testifying.
