Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Cleared of All Impeachment Accusations: 'Justice Has Been Served'
The Texas Senate has cleared Attorney General Ken Paxton of all impeachment charges related to allegations of corruption and unfitness for office.
While there was cross-party support for impeachment, the vote count for conviction on each article failed to reach the necessary 21-vote minimum. Republican Senators Robert Nichols and Kelly Hancock voted with all 12 Democrats in favor of conviction on multiple counts.
The Senate session was convened at 10:30 a.m. Central Time on a Saturday and wrapped up just before 1 p.m.
"Today, the truth prevailed. The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors," Paxton said in a statement thanking his supporters after the verdict. He also criticized the impeachment process, stating, "The sham impeachment coordinated by the Biden Administration with liberal House Speaker Dade Phelan and his kangaroo court has cost taxpayers millions of dollars, disrupted the work of the Office of Attorney General and left a dark and permanent stain on the Texas House."
"Now that this shameful process is over, my work to defend our constitutional rights will resume. Thank you to everyone who has stood with us during this time," Paxton added.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott also spoke after the trial concluded, stating, "The jury has spoken. Attorney General Ken Paxton received a fair trial as required by the Texas Constitution. I look forward to continuing to work with the Attorney General to secure the border and protect Texas from federal overreach."
The Senate jury, mostly comprised of Republicans, spent about eight hours in closed-door deliberations after public discussions had ended. A two-thirds majority was needed to convict Paxton on any of the 16 impeachment articles, which accused him of bribery, corruption, and unfitness for office.
The voting was a drawn-out, public affair. Each impeachment article was voted on separately. Republicans have a 19-12 majority in the Senate, meaning that even if all Democrats voted for conviction, they would need the support of nine Republicans. They secured the support of only two at most.
Paxton was accused of leveraging his political power to benefit real estate developer Nate Paul. Critics have argued that Paxton's hiring of Paul amounted to accepting a bribe.
"If we don’t keep public officials from abusing the powers of their office, then frankly no one can," said Republican State Representative Andrew Murr during his closing remarks.
The legal team for the bipartisan group of legislators prosecuting Paxton concluded their arguments on Wednesday. A woman who was expected to testify about an extramarital affair with Paxton made a sudden appearance but did not take the stand.
The affair was a focal point in the allegations involving Paul, who was under FBI investigation and had employed the woman, named Laura Olson. One of the impeachment articles claimed that Paul's employment of Olson constituted a bribe.
Paxton's defense attorneys argued that the impeachment was an attempt by establishment Republicans to remove a proven conservative from office, citing Paxton's history of challenging Democratic administrations in high-profile legal cases.
"I would suggest to you this is a political witch hunt," said Paxton's attorney Tony Buzbee. "I would suggest to you that this trial has displayed, for the country to see, a partisan fight within the Republican Party."
Paxton had also been previously indicted in June for allegedly making false statements to banks.
Paxton, who was suspended from his role pending the trial's outcome, was not required to attend the proceedings. He appeared only once in the Senate, during closing arguments. His wife, State Senator Angela Paxton, was present throughout the trial but was not allowed to participate in debate or vote on the outcome of her husband's trial.
