On June 19, 2023, Senator Angela Paxton announced she would participate in the impeachment proceedings of her husband, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
According to Sen. Paxton, who serves as the representative for a district in the Dallas area, it is mandated by Texas law for every member of the Senate to be present during the impeachment proceedings scheduled for Tuesday. The purpose of this gathering is to establish the guidelines for AG Paxton's impeachment trial.
“As a member of the Senate, I hold these obligations sacred and I will carry out my duties, not because it is easy, but because the Constitution demands it and because my constituents deserve it,” Sen. Paxton said in a statement.
Last month, the Texas House of Representatives cast their votes to impeach the attorney general. This unprecedented decision came after a legislative investigation revealed a lengthy history of corruption by the third-term Republican. The investigation found that he consistently engaged in misconduct, which involved the abuse of his office's authority, retaliation against whistleblowers and obstruction of justice.
Local Profile previously reported that AG Paxton first came under investigation in 2020 after his deputies accused him of bribery and abusing his office to help a campaign contributor, Nate Paul, who employed a woman with whom Paxton was having an alleged affair.
AG Paxton supported Paul in multiple ways, notably by hiring an external attorney to investigate Paul's allegations of a conspiracy involving federal judges and others from the FBI. Despite lacking prosecutorial experience, the hired lawyer had connections to Paul's defense attorney. As Paxton's in-office lawyers doubted the validity of Paul's claims, he resorted to hiring an external lawyer.
The individuals accusing the attorney general consist of several longstanding allies of Paxton, who were later joined by the agency's law enforcement chief. Subsequently, all eight individuals either resigned, were placed on leave or were terminated, which led to the whistleblower lawsuit.
The trial for AG Paxton’s future in the Texas government is set to take place in the senate no later than August 2023. The trial will determine whether Paxton should be permanently removed from his position.
