Texas AG Ken Paxton acquitted on all charges in State Senate impeachment trial

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been acquitted by the Texas Senate of all 16 articles of impeachment filed against him by the Texas House. No article received the support of a simple majority in the Senate, much less the 21 votes needed to remove him from office. AG Paxton had been suspended from his position for the duration of the trial, and has now been reinstated.

In reaction, the AG said the truth prevailed, calling the impeachment a sham coordinated by the Biden administration and a liberal House Speaker. AG Paxton said millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted on the trial, which also left a “permanent stain” on the Texas House. He warned the White House, “buckle up because your lawless policies will not go unchallenged. We will not allow you to shred and infringe on the rights of Texans.”

Governor Greg Abbott says AG Paxton received a fair trial, and that he looks forward to continue working with him to “secure the border and protect Texas from federal overreach.” Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick says the House rushed through the impeachment articles and did not give lawmakers proper time to study the articles. He alleges the House did not respect precedent and that he would seek to amend the Texas Constitution in regards to impeachment to avoid a repeat of “this flawed process.” Lt. Gov. Patrick also said he would call for an audit of taxpayer money spent by the House during the impeachment process.

In his closing argument during the Senate trial, AG Paxton’s lawyer Tony Buzbee said it displayed for the country “a partisan fight within the Republican Party.” He alleged, “the Bush era in Texas ends today.” GOP Rep. and House Impeachment Manager Andrew Murr says the House followed proper protocol, the burden of proof was met in the AG’s impeachment trial, and he “would not do anything differently.”

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa alleges, “as long as Republicans control our government, elected officials won’t face consequences for ethical or criminal offenses.” He claims Lt. Gov. Patrick protected AG Paxton “every step of the way” and hid the truth by not having key witnesses and AG Paxton himself testify at the trial. House Speaker Dade Phelan said Lt. Gov. Patrick “attacked the House for standing up against corruption” and he disrespected “the Constitutional impeachment process afforded to us.”