Texas AG misconduct, lawbreaking, impeachment
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No question that had become a cult of personality. Fortunately it didn’t last long after he started governing and disillusioned most of the starry-eyed.
The high water mark where the wave broke was probably the Nobel Peace Prize (followed by bombing the Afghan wedding).
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After a historic 10-day trial, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted Saturday by the state Senate on 16 charges of bribery, unfitness for office and abuse of office. He was immediately reinstated, ending a suspension that began in May with his impeachment by the state House.
The verdict could propel the conservative Republican’s political future at home and potentially on the national stage.
Senators had deliberated in private for more than eight hours before returning to the chamber to individually declare their decision in public on a form and then by voice. The process took about an hour and a half, a nearly full gallery looking on as the “yay” and “nay” votes were sounded over and over. Many resulted in the same 14-16 margin, with only two Republicans siding with the dozen Democrats; 21 votes were required for conviction.
Paxton, 60, was not present for any of it.
His impeachment centered on his effort to obtain $3.3 million in state funding to settle a lawsuit by senior aides. Some of those aides had become whistleblowers, so distressed by his interactions with wealthy Austin developer Nate Paul that they reported their boss to the FBI. Several testified for the prosecution, and they were in the gallery on Saturday to hear the senators’ verdict.
Some political observers said the acquittal showed that Texas Republicans have unified after the divisiveness that resulted in Paxton’s impeachment.
“It’s a demonstration of unity that we haven’t seen in a while,” said Jim Henson, who directs the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. “You have an example of somebody who has successfully fought the system in the face of pretty strong evidence. It will be emboldening to people.”
The trial began Sept. 5, less than a year after the attorney general was reelected by a large margin to his third term — helped in no small part by the endorsement of former president Donald Trump.
Prosecutors argued that Paxton had turned his powerful office over to Paul and that the developer was using it to go after his enemies. But the defense team slammed the proceeding as a political witch hunt orchestrated by Paxton’s rivals. His conservative backers amplified that claim both in and outside of Texas.
In recent days, Trump surrogates and allies pressured Republican senators not to impeach Paxton, posting names and phone numbers of potential impeachment swing voters and urging Paxton supporters to phone their offices. Conservative activists threatened to mount primary challenges to those who voted to convict, as they already have against Republicans in the House.
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Turns out the aquital was due to President Trump!!!
“Yes, it is true that my intervention through TRUTH SOCIAL saved Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from going down at the hands of Democrats and some Republicans, headed by PAUL RINO (Ryan), Karl Rove, and others, almost all of whom came back to reason when confronted with the facts,”
(Maybe this should be in the Cognitive Decline of a President thread!!)
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Turns out the aquital was due to President Trump!!!
“Yes, it is true that my intervention through TRUTH SOCIAL saved Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from going down at the hands of Democrats and some Republicans, headed by PAUL RINO (Ryan), Karl Rove, and others, almost all of whom came back to reason when confronted with the facts,”
(Maybe this should be in the Cognitive Decline of a President thread!!)
@taiwan_girl is there anything Trump can't do???
