trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is underway with live television coverage, a former aide who reported him to the FBI on the witness stand and his wife watching from her desk in the state Senate but prohibited from participating.
Paxton pleaded not guilty Tuesday but did not return for opening arguments, when his attorneys sharply criticized the impeachment and urged Republican senators to acquit. If convicted, Paxton could be barred from elected office in Texas. Senators on Tuesday rejected numerous motions to dismiss the charges against Paxton, who is not required to attend all the proceedings.
At the heart of the case are accusations that Paxton abused his office to help one of his donors, Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who was indicted this summer on charges of making false statements to a bank to secure more than $170 million in loans. His future is now in the hands of a Senate stacked with ideological allies and a presiding judge, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who loaned $125,000 to his last reelection campaign. One member of the Republican majority in the chamber is his wife, Sen. Angela Paxton, but while she can attend the trial, she is barred from voting on whether to convict or acquit.
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