Republican-Controlled House Votes to Impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
Jose Nino
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On May 27, the Texas State House voted to impeach state Attorney General Ken Paxton on articles which included bribery and abuse of public trust.
Impeachment will result in Paxton’s immediate suspension from his role as Attorney General as the final result of the trial is determined in the State Senate. In the meantime, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has the power to appoint someone else to take Paxton’s place in the interim.
The impeachment vote tally was 121-23. In being impeached, Paxton became the third sitting official in Texan history to have been impeached.
“The ugly spectacle in the Texas House today confirmed the outrageous impeachment plot against me was never meant to be fair or just,” Paxton said in response to the impeachment vote. “It was a politically motivated sham from the beginning.”
In the last few years, Paxton has been under FBI investigation over allegations that he used his political position to help a donor and in another instance received securities fraud charges in 2015, though he has not been put on trial for these charges yet. House Republicans were generally quiet with regards to the allegations. However, that changed this week as 60 of the 85 Republicans in the State House, including Speaker Dade Phelan, voted to impeach Paxton.
“No one person should be above the law, least not the top law officer of the state of Texas,” declared State Representative David Spiller, a Republican member of the committee in charge of investigating Paxton.
“I perceive it could be political weaponization,” declared State Representative Tony Tinderholt, a staunch House conservative, prior to the vote. State Representative John Smithee likened the proceeding to “a Saturday mob out for an afternoon lynching.”
Paxton is automatically suspended from his AG position pending the Senate trial. To be completely removed from office, a two-thirds vote in favor of impeachment is needed in the Senate.
Prior to the vote, former President Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz defended Paxton. Cruz described the impeachment process as “a travesty” and said Paxton’s legal troubles should be exclusively handled in the courts.
“Free Ken Paxton,” Trump published on Truth Social. He also warned that if House Republicans proceeded to vote for Paxton’s impeachment, “I will fight you.”
Texas Republicans are dropping the ball here. BLP has previously reported on Paxton’s efforts to protect gun rights and stand up for border security, actions which demonstrate his commitment to right-wing values. However, Texas Republicans appear to be falling for fake news media narratives regarding Paxton.
Grassroots conservatives must continue turning up the heat by making sure that the Senate holds the line and rejects impeaching Paxton. If this impeachment vote goes through, Texas will be on the path to becoming a blue state.
Such moves will only further embolden the Left.
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