Texas AG Ken Paxton impeached, suspended (updated) (2 Viewers)

[Incumbent]

Amid numerous allegations and legal problems going back many years.

Texas lawmakers recommend impeaching Attorney General Ken Paxton

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing a historic impeachment vote after years of scandal, criminal charges and corruption accusations.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[MT15]

Onlookers noticed a large dumpster filled with papers on fire yesterday behind the building that holds the AG’s office. I’m sure it’s unrelated though. 🙄

 

[Incumbent]

Texas AG Ken Paxton faces 20 articles of impeachment, including conspiracy, constitutional bribery and obstruction of justice

A Republican-led investigative committee that spent months quietly looking into Paxton recommended impeaching the state's top lawyer.

www.kvue.com

 

[superchuck500]

 

[MT15]

What tipped the scales? Like what has already been said, his corruption is no secret and the Rs have been tolerating it for years.

 

[Maxp]

This is Texas. I bet he skates and keeps his position.

 

[superchuck500]

This is Texas. I bet he skates and keeps his position.

He would have to be confirmed impeached by 2/3 of the Texas Senate, but it sounds like a powerful section of the state GOP is sick of his shirt.

 

[efil4]

What tipped the scales? Like what has already been said, his corruption is no secret and the Rs have been tolerating it for years.

they werent in on the grift?

 

[GrandAdmiral]

He would have to be confirmed impeached by 2/3 of the Texas Senate, but it sounds like a powerful section of the state GOP is sick of his shirt.

Yeah. Considering he's calling them all, including the state house speaker, liberals, I'm sure he might be seeing the writing on the wall and is willing to sic his supporters on them with his rhetoric.

I'm waiting to see if Trump is dumb enough to say something since Paxton has always defended him.

 

[Incumbent]

He would have to be confirmed impeached by 2/3 of the Texas Senate, but it sounds like a powerful section of the state GOP is sick of his shirt.

And Paxton's wife is one of the state senators, so it will be interesting to see how her relationships and any influence she has among her colleagues might play into this.

 

[Incumbent]

What tipped the scales? Like what has already been said, his corruption is no secret and the Rs have been tolerating it for years.

Patrick Svitek, with the Texas Tribune, attempts to answer that:

The big question: Why now?

The years of alleged misconduct by Paxton raise the question: Why now?

House leaders have said the committee’s investigation was prompted by a $3.3 million settlement that Paxton reached with the whistleblowers in February. Paxton needed the Legislature to approve the use of state funds to settle the lawsuit — and quickly encountered resistance.

House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, was the first Republican in the Legislature to come out against using taxpayer dollars to pay for the settlement. A Phelan spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday that Paxton “made this demand of the Legislature without providing sufficient information or evidence.”

“As a result, Speaker Phelan has maintained that it would be irresponsible for the Legislature to appropriate this extraordinary amount of taxpayer dollars without first conducting a full and thorough investigation into the matter,” said the Phelan spokesperson, Cait Wittman.

To be clear, the 20 articles of impeachment are broader than the whistleblower claims at the center of the settlement. Some of them focus on the securities fraud charges.

Phelan’s intraparty critics say the settlement is a smokescreen for the impeachment effort. Paxton comes from a wing of the Texas GOP that frequently criticizes the House as too moderate, and his supporters say chamber leaders are now striking back in extreme fashion.

Effort to impeach Ken Paxton, led by fellow Republicans, sets off political earthquake in Texas

Republicans have chosen to remain largely silent during years of alleged misconduct and lawbreaking by the attorney general. Now they will have to take a public stand.

www.texastribune.org

A side-note to all of this is Paxton recently called on Speaker Phelan to step down after appearing to be intoxicated while conducting official business in the house chamber.

 

[superchuck500]

Paxton says the will of the voters (who elected him) should be respected . . . hmmm

 

[superchuck500]

Yeah. Considering he's calling them all, including the state house speaker, liberals, I'm sure he might be seeing the writing on the wall and is willing to sic his supporters on them with his rhetoric.

I'm waiting to see if Trump is dumb enough to say something since Paxton has always defended him.

Stephen Miller has come out saying that Trump supporters should "stand by" Paxton because he always supported Trump.

Of course - in the Trump GOP, it's a mafia. Loyalty is all that matters, who cares about criminal conduct?

 

[coldseat]

Patrick Svitek, with the Texas Tribune, attempts to answer that:

​

Effort to impeach Ken Paxton, led by fellow Republicans, sets off political earthquake in Texas

Republicans have chosen to remain largely silent during years of alleged misconduct and lawbreaking by the attorney general. Now they will have to take a public stand.

www.texastribune.org

A side-note to all of this is Paxton recently called on Speaker Phelan to step down after appearing to be intoxicated while conducting official business in the house chamber.

The voters of this state reelected this scum bag twice, knowing he was corrupt as fork. Tells you everything you need to know about voters in Texas.

Paxton will win this fight with the Texas House. The right wing nuts that elected him to be a complete tool towards Democrats and liberals will come to his defense with threats of harm and the moderates will back down because they'll get scared. That's how things work in Texas.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

The voters of this state reelected this scum bag twice, knowing he was corrupt as fork. Tells you everything you need to know about voters in Texas.

Paxton will win this fight with the Texas House. The right wing nuts that elected him to be a complete tool towards Democrats and liberals will come to his defense with threats of harm and the moderates will back down because they'll get scared. That's how things work in Texas.

Yep. Friend who lives there votes the Republican ticket straight line despite their policies having her forced to live with her family making less than a living wage, her kids living with her abusive ex-husband, and her relatives from Honduras afraid to visit out of fear of retribution from the same fools my friend consistently votes for.

 

[Saintman2884]

Stephen Miller has come out saying that Trump supporters should "stand by" Paxton because he always supported Trump.

Of course - in the Trump GOP, it's a mafia. Loyalty is all that matters, who cares about criminal conduct?

Loyalty to Trump most of all, to his underlings or “middle-men”, eh, their disposable and expendable and can be tossed over and they’ll readily accept because their “loyal partisan zealots”. Ken Paxton is comparatively low on the political hierarchy ladder, Trump doesn’t likely give two shirts about what happens to him.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Trump privately is telling subordinates, aides that he hopes he gets convicted and he deserves to go to prison.

 

[Saintman2884]

The voters of this state reelected this scum bag twice, knowing he was corrupt as fork. Tells you everything you need to know about voters in Texas.

Paxton will win this fight with the Texas House. The right wing nuts that elected him to be a complete tool towards Democrats and liberals will come to his defense with threats of harm and the moderates will back down because they'll get scared. That's how things work in Texas.

If Paxton has managed to piss off an overwhelming majority of Texas state senators, then the loud ramblings of a small, extreme minority aren’t going to deter even members of his own party from impeaching him out. They have far bigger numerical advantage.

Sure, they tolerated his illegal, unethical corrupt nature before but like with Trump’s actions, rhetoric and behavior since 2020 has made him out to be a bit of an embarrassment.

 

[Incumbent]

Impeached on a vote of 121-23

Texas AG Ken Paxton impeached, suspended from duties pending outcome of Senate trial

The House voted 121-23 to suspend the attorney general and refer him to the Senate for trial on charges of bribery, abuse of office and obstruction. It was the first such impeachment since 1975.

www.texastribune.org