A Republican-led committee of the Texas House of Representatives on Thursday recommended the impeachment of the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, for a series of abuses of his office that committee investigators allege could be a crime.
The recommendation pushed the State Congress and its Republican leadership into uncharted political territory in the final days of the legislative session, setting the stage for the House to hold an impeachment vote. crime, the first in decades and one of the few ever conducted in the state. history.
If impeached, Mr. Paxton, a Republican who has been a separate criminal indictment since 2015will be asked to resign temporarily while he faces trial in the State Senate.
Mark P. Jones, professor of political science at Rice University, said: “It’s really unprecedented — we really only had two impeachments under the 1876 Constitution. These include governor in 1917who resigned the day before the Senate convicted him, and a district judge was convicted and removed from office in the 1970s.
Prior to the vote, the committee met in an executive session, out of public view.
Mr. Paxton said in a post on Twitter which includes video footage of a lawyer from his office arguing against impeachment before reporters in a nearly empty committee room, while committee deliberations are being held. proceed.
After voting, the committee submits 20 articles of impeachment Paxton, accusing him of multiple abuses including accepting bribes, disregarding official duties, obstructing justice in a separate securities fraud case pending against him, perjury official data and reports, and abuse of public trust.
The multiple allegations relate to various ways Mr Paxton used his office to benefit a particular donor, the commission said, and subsequently fired people in the office who spoke out against his actions.
When the articles were distributed throughout the House of Representatives late Thursday, Andrew Murr, the committee’s chairman, a Republican, said they depicted “serious offenses” and that he intended to put them out for a vote in the House of Commons.
Unusual developments are likely to test Republicans in Texas in new and unpredictable ways, at a time when divisions within the party are increasingly evident.
The Texas House of Representatives is led by Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican representing Beaumont who is considered a traditional conservative. By contrast, Mr. Paxton has allied with the toughest Republican lawmakers in Texas and with former President Donald J. Trump, in a faction that includes the deputy governor and leader of the State Senate, Dan Patrick.
The House of Representatives investigative committee, consisting of three Republicans and two Democrats, voted unanimously to proceed with impeachment proceedings in a brief public session. “The chairman asked the committee to approve articles of impeachment against Warren Kenneth Paxton, the attorney general for the state of Texas,” Mr. Murr said.
It is unclear when the House will pass the articles of impeachment and proceed with a secret ballot, although some members said they expect that to happen before the session ends on Monday. Otherwise, legislators can call themselves back to a special session at any time for deliberation.
When asked by a member of the House of Representatives about the timing of the impeachment vote, Phelan said on Thursday night that Mr Murr would determine when to put the matter to a vote. He did not provide a timetable.
For much of Thursday, House members prepared for what had begun to feel inevitable.
At least one legislator can be found studying impeachment progress in the library of the Capitol. “I’m trying to figure out what impeachment is,” said the lawmaker, Representative John Smithee, a Republican from the conservative Texas Panhandle state. Speaking ahead of the committee’s vote, he said it was too early to rule on the matter and that he believed officials may be rushing to move forward with impeachment.
“I would like to hear more evidence than just a report,” Mr. Smithee said, “and the side of the story if he is willing to tell.”
The House committee vote takes place a day later detailed testimony hours on Wednesday from a team of investigators – former prosecutors hired by the commission to look into corruption allegations against Mr. Paxton.
Investigators described how Mr. Paxton abused and abused his office to help an Austin real estate developer and sponsor who also hired a woman Mr. Paxton was having. relationship, and how Mr. Paxton created an atmosphere of fear within the agency. attorney general’s office.
Investigators say the misconduct Mr. Paxton is accused of has grown to culpable levels, including cases of retaliation against those who spoke out.
The committee did not take testimony during Thursday’s session.
An attorney from Mr Paxton’s office, Christopher Hilton, told reporters the committee’s process was “totally flawed” and called testimony from Wednesday “false” and “misleading”. . He added that the issues raised by the committee were fully brought up during Mr Paxton’s re-election campaign last year, when he was elected to a third term.
“The 2022 election, the primaries and the general election are conducted on these issues, these allegations,” Mr. “Voters have spoken out. They want Ken Paxton as their attorney general.”
And, in what appeared to be a preview of a possible legal challenge to the proceedings, Mr. Hilton said Texas law only allows impeachment for conduct since the previous election. .
Representative Trey Martinez Fischer, chairman of the Democratic caucus in the Texas House of Representatives, said after the vote that impeachments were “very rare and very serious,” adding, “I believe the committee It’s been a lot of work and I’m going to evaluate the evidence and see where this takes us.”
Another Democrat, Representative Jon Rosenthal of Houston, said the charges against Mr Paxton were “pretty bad” and he would most likely vote for impeachment. “I challenge you to find a Democrat who will say, ‘No, I’m not going to vote for impeachment,'” he said.
The investigation began in March, after Mr Paxton, who is also being indicted on securities fraud charges, appeared to have succeeded in putting at least one of his legal troubles behind his back. He had agreed to a settlement of $3.3 million with his four top aides, who sued him, accusing him of corruption and revenge.
Mr. Paxton requested funding from the Texas Legislature to pay the settlement. But Mr. Phelan, who spoke in the House of Representatives, was not in favor of using state money, and said he felt that Mr. Paxton had not adequately explained why the state should fund the settlement. . A spokesman for Mr Phelan said a House investigation into the allegations had been initiated to gather information about the funding request.
For two days this week, as the commission’s investigation draws to a close, Mr. Paxton charges against Mr. Phelan, and claimed that the speaker presided over a session in the House of Commons last week while intoxicated. Mr Paxton based his accusations on a video that went viral among far-right activists who blamed Mr Phelan for the failure of many conservative pieces of legislation in the House of Commons.
Much of what was presented to the committee about Mr. Paxton has been known publicly from the allegations made in the aides’ lawsuit. Aides have also complained about Paxton to the FBI, which is still investigating.
Thursday’s vote delivered the first formal ruling on those charges, finding them sufficient to begin the process of removing Mr. Paxton from office.
Murr said the committee also voted to send letters to the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Facility Commission, the state’s property regulator, “to make sure that all relevant evidence is involved. commission’s investigation” will not be “destroyed or concealed”. , chairman of the committee.
The impeachment vote is the second this year that the committee has recommended the removal of an elected official. The first involved the Republican state representative, Bryan Slaton; A commission investigation found he slept with a 19-year-old employee after serving her alcohol.
Mr. Slaton resigned shortly thereafter. House then voted unanimously to officially expel him, and prevent him from holding office in the future.
David Montgomery contribution report.
