Texas House Votes to Impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton

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Facts

  • On Saturday, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach longtime state Attorney General Ken Paxton on charges of corruption — including abuse of power and retaliation against whistleblowers. Paxton is now temporarily suspended from his role while he awaits a Senate trial.1
  • The GOP-led House voted 121-23 in favor of impeaching the Republican Paxton, with all 23 “no” votes coming from Republicans who called the hearing “indefensible and unethical.” Paxton also called the impeachment a “politically motivated sham.”2
  • However, the 20 articles of impeachment cite Paxton’s 2015 securities fraud indictment and his relationship with Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who donated $25K to Paxton’s campaign. Paul asked Paxton to intervene in an FBI probe and Texas House investigators say the Attorney General circumvented Texas policies to help Paul.3
  • The impeachment charges also accuse Paxton of accepting bribes and committing multiple violations. Paxton has strong support among the GOP base, including former Pres. Trump, who called on Gov. Greg Abbott to intervene in the proceedings.4
  • Abbott is tasked with appointing a temporary Attorney General while Texas waits for the impending Senate trial. Two-thirds of the Senate would need to vote in favor of impeachment to permanently remove Paxton from office.5
  • Paxton’s removal would mark only the third time the Texas Senate ever voted to expel a lawmaker.6

Sources: 1CNN, 2New York Post, 3NPR Online News, 4The Texas Tribune, 5Associated Press, and 6CBS.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Revolver News. Paxton's sham impeachment hearing served as a great reminder of which Texas officials are truly on the side of America First and which ones are institutional shills. The Trump revolution showed that most politicians are actually on the same team and that the real divide is establishment vs anti-establishment. Texas RINOs and Democrats are now working together to remove Paxton because he is one of the few officials who care about securing America’s border and putting America first.
  • Narrative B, as provided by National Review. Years of corruption and abuse of power were too much to ignore as the Texas House voted to impeach Attorney General Paxton. This issue is not about partisanship or ideology, but about maintaining the integrity of the Texas government and the office of the Attorney General. Paxton has been involved in multiple criminal cases and can no longer be Attorney General.