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Article 20 Impeachment Indictment Against Texas State Rep. Ken Paxton Attorney General

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is on the brink of impeachment Thursday after years of scandals, criminal charges and corruption charges that have kept the state’s Republican majority largely silent. I wobbled. In a unanimous decision, the Republican-led House Commission of Inquiry, which spent months quietly investigating Paxton, He recommended impeaching […] Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is on the brink of impeachment Thursday after years of scandals, criminal charges and corruption charges that have kept the state's Republican majority largely silent. The Republican-led House Commission of Inquiry has recommended impeaching the state’s top lawyer for Article 20, including bribery, unfitness for public office, and abuse of public trust. The House could vote on the recommendation as early as Friday, and if Paxton are impeached, he will be forced out of office immediately. The move marks a possible surprise and sudden downfall for one of the Republican Party”s most prominent litigators, who asked the Supreme Court to overturn President Joe Biden’�s victory in 2020. Paxton has been under investigation by the FBI for years for allegedly using his office to help donors, and was separately indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, but has yet to face trial. The articles of impeachment included three Republicans and two Democrats, largely because of Mr Paxton” relationship with one of his wealthy donors. No other Texas Republican leader has voiced support for Paxton since impeachment suddenly surfaced on Wednesday.

Article 20 Impeachment Indictment Against Texas State Rep. Ken Paxton Attorney General

Published : 10 months ago by USA TRENDS in Politics

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is on the brink of impeachment Thursday after years of scandals, criminal charges and corruption charges that have kept the state’s Republican majority largely silent. I wobbled.

In a unanimous decision, the Republican-led House Commission of Inquiry, which spent months quietly investigating Paxton, He recommended impeaching the state’s top lawyer for Article 20, including bribery, unfitness for public office, and abuse of public trust. The House could vote on the recommendation as early as Friday. If Paxton is impeached, he will be forced out of office immediately.

The move marks a possible surprise and sudden downfall for one of the Republican Party’s most prominent litigators, who asked the Supreme Court to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020. be. . In nearly 200 years of Texas history, only two officials have been impeached.

Paxton has been under investigation by the FBI for years for allegedly using his office to help donors. He was separately indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, but has yet to face trial. .

When the five-member commission’s investigation was revealed on Tuesday, Paxton suggested it was a political attack by House “liberal” Republican Speaker Dade Phelan. He demanded Mr Phelan’s resignation and accused him of drinking during the marathon sessions. last Friday. Mr. Phelan’s office dismissed the accusation, saying Mr. Paxton was “trying to save face.”

“Today is a sad day for the state of Texas as we see corrupt political forces united in an unjust attempt to subvert public opinion and disenfranchise the state’s voters,” Paxton said in a statement Thursday. said the commission’s findings were “hearsay, gossip, parroting long-disproved claims.”

By opposing him, Paxton said, “RINO in the Texas Legislature is now on the same side as Joe Biden.”

Impeachment requires a majority vote in the state’s 150-member House of Representatives, which is now in 85-64 control after Republicans resigned ahead of a vote to oust him. .

It’s unclear how many supporters Paxton has in the House of Representatives, who served five terms before becoming a state senator. No other Texas Republican leader has voiced support for Paxton since impeachment suddenly surfaced on Wednesday.

The articles of impeachment issued by the Commission of Inquiry included three Republicans and two Democrats, largely because of Mr. Paxton’s relationship with one of his wealthy donors. They highlight Paxton’s alleged efforts to protect donors from FBI investigations and his attempts to block whistleblowing complaints from his own staff.

The timing of the House vote is unclear. Republican chairman of the commission of inquiry, Rep. Andrew Marr, said he didn’t have a schedule, and Phelan’s office declined to comment.

Unlike Congress, impeachment in Texas requires immediate removal pending trial in the Senate. Republican Governor Greg Abbott may appoint an interim replacement. Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the impeachment proceedings.

A final impeachment would require a two-thirds vote in the Senate, where Paxton’s wife, Angela, belongs. Senate Republican Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick did not respond to a request for comment.

Paxton, 60, is in danger of being ousted at the hands of Republican lawmakers just seven months after easily winning a third term by defeating challengers such as George P. Bush. As he urged voters to reject his compromised incumbent, he found many were unaware of Mr. Paxton’s string of wrongdoing allegations, or dismissed the accusations as political attacks.

The attorney general characterized his potential impeachment as “a momentous moment for the rule of law and the will of Texas voters.”

State law allows the House to continue impeachment proceedings, even as Monday’s session draws to a close. You can also recall yourself back into the session later. The Senate has the same option.

In some ways, Mr. Paxton’s political crisis has come with dizzying speed. A House committee investigation was revealed on Tuesday, the day after Paxton’s allegations of criminal activity as one of the most powerful people in Texas were made public in a rare public hearing.

But for critics of Mr. Paxton, who is now building his party’s approval ratings in the Texas Capitol, the rebuke has been years in the making.

In 2014, he pleaded guilty to violating Texas securities laws by failing to register as an investment adviser when soliciting clients. A year later, Mr. Paxton was indicted by a grand jury near his hometown of Dallas on felony securities charges for defrauding investors in a tech startup. He has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts that carry a penalty of five to 99 years in prison.

He set up a defense fund and received $100,000 from executives. The company was under investigation by Paxton’s office for alleged Medicaid fraud. Another $50,000 was donated by an Arizona retiree, whose son Paxton was later hired into a senior position. However, he was soon fired after showing child pornography during a meeting to try and get his point across.

But Paxton’s most serious risk is his relationship with another wealthy donor, Austin real estate developer Nate Paul.

In 2020, several of Paxton’s aides told the FBI they were concerned that the Attorney General was abusing his authority to help Mr. Paul. over unproven allegations that an elaborate conspiracy to steal $200 million of his fortune was underway. The FBI raided Paul’s home in 2019, but he was never charged and his attorney denied any wrongdoing.Paxton told staff that he had an affair with a woman who was later found to have worked under Paul.

The impeachment proceedings include a myriad of charges related to the Paxton-Paul deal. The allegations include attempting to intervene in a foreclosure lawsuit, improperly issuing a legal opinion in Paul’s favor, and dismissing, harassing, and sabotaging staff who reported the incident. The bribery allegations stem from Paul allegedly hiring a woman who had an affair with Paxton in exchange for legal assistance and paying for expensive renovations to Paxton’s Austin home.

Other charges date back to Mr. Paxton’s pending 2015 securities fraud felony indictment, including lying to state agents.

All eight aides who reported Paxton to the FBI were fired or resigned, and four later filed lawsuits under Texas’ whistleblower law. In February, Paxton agreed to settle the lawsuit for $3.3 million. . But the Texas House of Representatives must approve the payments, and Phelan said he doesn’t think taxpayers should bear the costs.

Shortly after the settlement, a House investigation into Paxton began. The probe marked an unusual scrutiny of Mr. Paxton in the state Capitol, where many Republicans have long remained silent about the accusations that haunt him.

The Texas House of Representatives has only twice impeached incumbents: Governor James Ferguson in 1917 and state judge OP Carrillo in 1975.

The article was amended to reflect that impeachment requires a majority of the Texas House of Representatives, not two-thirds.

Breiburg reported from Dallas. Associated Press reporters Paul J. Weber and Jim Bartuno contributed from Austin, Texas.


Topics: Texas

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