If the House impeaches Paxton, he would be forced to leave office immediately. The move sets set up a remarkably sudden downfall for one of the GOP's most prominent legal combatants, who in 2020 asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn President Joe Biden's victory. Only two other officials in Texas' nearly 200-year history have been impeached.
Paxton has suggested that the investigation that came to light to week is a politically motivated attack and said the Republican House leadership is too"liberal" for the state. In one sense, Paxton's political peril arrived with dizzying speed: House Republicans did not reveal they had been investigating him until Tuesday, followed the next day by an extraordinary public airing of alleged criminal acts he committed as one of Texas' most powerful figures.
He opened a legal defense fund and accepted $100,000 from an executive whose company was under investigation by Paxton's office for Medicaid fraud. An additional $50,000 was donated by an Arizona retiree whose son Paxton later hired to a high-ranking job but was soon fired after trying to make a point by displaying child pornography in a meeting.
Paxton's aides accused him of corruption and were all fired or quit after reporting him to the FBI. Four sued under Texas' whistleblower laws, accusing Paxton of wrongful retaliation, and in February agreed to settle the case for $3.3 million. But the Texas House must approve the payout and Phelan has said he doesn't think taxpayers should foot the bill.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Likely Broke Laws, Republican Investigation FindsA Republican-led investigation on Wednesday accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of committing multiple crimes in office — including felonies — during an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking that plunged one of the GOP’s conservative stars into new political and legal risk.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton likely broke laws, Republican investigation findsA Republican-led investigation has accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of committing multiple crimes in office. The allegations came Wednesday during an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking that plunged one of the GOP’s conservative stars into new political and legal risk. For more than three hours, investigators presented findings alleging that Paxton sought to hide an affair, misused his office to help a donor, skirted protocols and built a culture of fear and retaliation in his office. The GOP-led House General Investigating Committee ended Wednesday’s hearing without acting on the findings. The panel's leader declined to discuss next steps or whether a recommendation to impeach or censure Paxton is possible.
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Texas lawmakers recommend impeaching Attorney General Ken Paxton after Republican investigationTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing a historic impeachment vote after years of scandal, criminal charges and corruption accusations. A Republican-led House investigative committee on Thursday recommended impeaching the state’s top lawyer. Only two officials in Texas’ nearly 200-year history have been impeached. The state House of Representatives could hold the vote as soon as Friday. Paxton has been under FBI investigation for years over accusations that he used his office to help a donor and was separately indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015. He's suggested that the House committee investigation that came to light to week is a politically motivated attack by a “liberal” Republican House speaker. Texas lawmakers have filed 20 articles of impeachment against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, setting up what could be a remarkably sudden downfall for one of the GOP's most prominent legal combatants.
Source: AP - 🏆 728. / 51 Read more »