Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Impeachment Trial Date, Accusations, and More [Full Details]
The impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will finally begin on Tuesday, with Republicans aiming to get rid of one of their own.
The embattled Texas attorney general is accused of repeatedly abusing his office to help a donor, though his office has been facing a mounting amount of scandals even before the articles of impeachment were presented by his fellow Republicans. This includes an alleged affair and being indicted on charges of security fraud. He is also under federal investigation for accepting bribes and abusing his office.
What led to his impeachment, however, was his request for $3.3 million in state funds to settle the whistleblower case, where his own staffers accused him of accepting bribes and using his office to help out an important donor. The Texas state House, held by a Republican supermajority, voted 121-23 to impeach the Trump-aligned Paxton,
However, CNN pointed out that the Texas state Senate is much different as he has several allies there, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. His wife, Angela Paxton, is also a senator but is not allowed to vote during the trial given her relationship with him.
What Will Happen During the Impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton?
The impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will indeed be historic as he will only be the third Texas state official to be impeached, and the accusations against him are serious.
When the Senate tries him, he will be judged by a few allies, with one of the loudest being Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who also serves as the Senate President. Patrick infamously noted during an interview, "It's not a criminal trial. It's not a civil trial. It's a political trial,"
READ MORE: Texas House Votes to Impeach Republican State AG Ken Paxton in Historic Vote
As Senate President, Patrick will be overseeing the trial as a judge, together with thirty-one other Texas senators, most of whom are also Republicans, who will be serving as the jury. Patrick will rule on other motions while the other senators vote on whether to dismiss the articles of impeachment.
Rusty Hardin and Dick DeGuerin will be representing the House impeachment managers while Tony Buzbee is leading Paxton's defense. According to NBC News, Buzbee has previously tried to dismiss the articles of impeachment and get his client not to take the stand.
Ken Paxton Impeachment May Take a Look at Texas Attorney General's Extra-Marital Affair
Even though he claims to be a staunch "Christian Conservative," Ken Paxton actually cheated on his wife, State Sen. Angela Paxton. His various scandals forced him to confess his affair not just to his wife but also his own staff.
House impeachment managers of the heavily-Republican Texas state House found that Paxton was so driven to hide that affair that he went to great lengths to conceal it from not just his wife but also his conservative and deeply religious base.
House impeachment managers released nearly 4,000 pages of documents that alleged Paxton repeatedly abused his office to help real estate investor Nate Paul's faltering businesses. Paul was the big donor he was helping out, as well as the man who helped cover up Paxton's affair by hiring his mistress so she could meet with Paxton in Austin covertly.
"The affair is important because it goes to Ken Paxton's political strength," said Rep. Ann Johnson of Houston, a Democrat. "He knows that with his folks, he is 'family values.' He is a Christian man. And the idea of the exposure of the affair will risk him with his base."
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
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