Austin, Texas— Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton goes on trial Tuesday within the state Senate on 16 articles of impeachment regarding allegations of bribery, dereliction of responsibility and disrespect of official responsibility.
Paxton is simply the third particular person to face for an impeachment trial within the historical past of the Texas Legislature. The two different impeached officers have been each expelled from workplace.
Here’s extra about who Paxton is and why he’s going through an impeachment trial. Read a timeline of the important thing occasions within the impeachment case on CBS News Texas.
Who is Ken Paxton?
Paxton is the Republican lawyer common of Texas, and since taking workplace in 2015, he’s been often called one of the conservative attorneys common within the nation. During the Obama administration, he gained a popularity for suing the federal authorities after which grew to be an in depth ally of former President Donald Trump.
Paxton led a number of states in submitting a lawsuit in Dec. 2020 difficult the presidential election leads to Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — all received by Joe Biden — which was finally thrown out. He then spoke at Trump’s rally on the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021.
Eric Gay / AP
The earlier two attorneys common who preceded Paxton — Rick Perry and Greg Abbott — each went on to be elected governor. Before Paxton grew to become lawyer common, he served within the state Senate and as a Texas state consultant within the Legislature for Collin and Dallas Counties.
Two years after Paxton was elected lawyer common, his spouse, Angela Paxton, efficiently ran for his former state Senate seat. The pair met once they have been college students at Baylor University, they usually now have 4 youngsters and two grandchildren. The Paxtons usually speak in regards to the heavy affect of their church on their conservative politics.
What is he accused of?
Ken Paxton has lengthy confronted questions on his relationship with actual property developer Nate Paul, who donated to Paxton’s marketing campaign. Paul has since been indicted in an unrelated case.
Several aides in Paxton’s workplace got here ahead in 2020 alleging that Paxton influenced workers to get entangled in authorized disputes that may profit Paul and his enterprise. In return, they alleged, Paul supplied in depth residence renovations for Paxton — and in addition employed a lady with whom Paxton was allegedly having an affair.
Paxton denies the allegations towards him.
According to a report by the House impeachment managers, who will current their arguments at his state Senate trial, Angela Paxton and the lady Paxton allegedly had an affair with had a “loud verbal confrontation down at the cafe” at one level.
One of Paxton’s former high aides, Andrew Wicker, testified to House impeachment managers that he heard that earlier than he got here to work for the lawyer common’s workplace in 2019, there had been an “intervention” within the workplace about his alleged affair.
Wicker instructed the House impeachment managers that he was instructed that “they all got in a room and talked about it, put it all out on the table and I don’t know what all was said in that discussion.” He added, “I know that it eventually became knowledge with Angela and that there is a form of reconciliation there.” But Wicker additionally testified that he believed the alleged affair had resumed.
Wicker testified that there have been discussions between Paxton and members of the workers a couple of 2019 FBI raid on Paul’s residence, and though Wicker mentioned he did not have “firsthand knowledge” about it, it appeared there had been an effort to acquire the affidavit for the seek for Paul.
The aide additionally instructed the House impeachment managers that he was requested to ship a manila envelope to Paul, which investigators consider contained confidential FBI information about Paul.
In one other occasion, Wicker testified that in renovations to Paxton’s home in 2020, he wished granite counter tops. When instructed that it could price $20,000, Wicker mentioned Paxton replied, “I will check with Nate.” Wicker mentioned that struck him as “odd” as a result of each Paxton and his spouse are “very stingy with money.”
Wicker testified that across the time of the renovation —the late summer season and early fall of 2020— “we were spending an increasingly large share of our calendar time focused on Nate Paul and those — and those cases.”
Wicker, who testified that Angela Paxton referred to him as a “second son,” resigned in 2020 amid accusations that he was concerned within the alleged corruption.
Four different aides, whom Paxton described as “rogue employees,” filed a lawsuit in 2020 alleging that they have been fired after coming ahead with details about what was happening within the lawyer common’s workplace. On Feb. 10, Paxton introduced the lawyer common’s workplace had settled the lawsuit for $3.3 million. Days later, on Feb. 21, Paxton put a line merchandise within the price range for the $3.3 million to settle the lawsuit with taxpayer cash.
The request led House Speaker Dade Phelan to start the investigation into Paxton. On May 23, the House General Investigating Committee went public about its probe into the proposed settlement with the whistleblowers. According to the committee, the settlement with the whistleblowers would stop a trial and the main points from changing into public.
The committee advisable 20 articles of impeachment towards Paxton. On May 25, Paxton blasted it as an “illegal impeachment scheme,” and his attorneys argued that the impeachment proceedings couldn’t go ahead as a result of Paxton had been reelected because the time of the allegations.
What occurred on the House impeachment listening to?
As the Texas’ legislative session was wrapping up, the Texas House held an impeachment listening to on May 27. Over the course of a number of hours, the House listened to the proof laid out by the impeachment managers and requested questions in regards to the course of.
Although Republicans maintain a 22-seat majority within the Texas House, 60 Republicans joined 61 Democrats in voting to question Paxton. Just 23 Republicans voted to maintain him in workplace.
Among the 60 Republicans who voted to question have been the 5 Republicans who characterize Collin County, Paxton’s residence base.
Under the Texas structure, an official who’s impeached is suspended from workplace instantly, with out pay. Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed two interim attorneys common since Paxton was impeached.
What will occur now within the Senate trial?
Paxton’s impeachment trial is now being held within the state Senate. Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor, will preside over the trial, and the 31 state senators would be the jurors.
Lawyers for the state have launched 4,000 pages of proof that they plan to current on the trial. The Senate has agreed to contemplate 16 of the unique 20 articles of impeachment.
Paxton’s spouse, who remains to be a Texas state senator, says that she’ll attend the trial, however she’s barred from collaborating in any of the deliberations or vote.
A two-thirds majority of all sitting senators on any one of many expenses is required for a conviction or elimination of workplace. If Paxton is acquitted of the entire expenses, he can be returned to workplace.
Have Paxton or his spouse spoken publicly since his impeachment?
A gag order has been positioned on either side chatting with the press. But the gag order hasn’t prevented Paxton from elevating cash, and he mentioned in July that he raised $1.7 million within the 12 days after he was impeached.
Paxton and his spouse spoke at a rally for the Collin County Republican celebration. He mentioned the gag order prevented him from talking publicly, so he as a substitute targeted on alleging voter fraud and blaming the media.
“And by the way, thanks to the media for showing up today. I’m sure they’re here for a good story,” Paxton mentioned. “Actually, if you’ve kind of kept up, you could read that I’m responsible for the JFK assassination and for 9/11 and everything in between.”
Angela Paxton additionally introduced she can be operating for reelection.
What is the legal case towards Paxton?
In an unrelated case, a Collin County grand jury indicted him in July 2015 for 2 first-diploma felony expenses of securities fraud, which carry a sentence of as much as 99 years in jail, and a 3rd-diploma felony cost of failure to register.
Paxton has up to now efficiently averted prosecution because the alleged crimes befell earlier than he took workplace. Paxton has denied the allegations towards him.
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