Is Ken Paxton Republican

Is Ken Paxton Republican

Texas's Austin( AP) — In an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking, a Republican- led investigation on Wednesday accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of committing multiple crimes while in office, including felonies. This put one of the GOP's leading conservative figures in new political and legal risk.

is ken paxton republican

Investigators presented their conclusions for more than three hours, claiming Paxton tried to conceal an affair, used his position improperly to assist a donor, skirted policy" grossly outside" of norms, and fostered a climate of fear and retaliation in his workplace. The GOP- led House General Investigating Committee was informed by the investigators that there was proof Paxton had broken the law frequently over the years, including by misusing official information, abusing his position, and retaliating. 

Despite a felony indictment in 2015 and an ongoing FBI investigation, the dramatic turn of events at the Texas Capitol released a fresh test of Paxton's toughness that he has not yet faced. The probe by the House committee has been ongoing covertly for months, and it was only made public on Tuesday. 

After the hearing on Wednesday, the committee adjourned without taking any action. Republican state representative Andrew Murr, who chairs the panel, chose not to speak about subsequent events or the likelihood of recommending Paxton be impeached or censured subsequently. 

Unless Republican Governor Greg Abbott calls for a special session, any action against Paxton would need to be taken before the end of the current legislative session on Monday. A Texas official who's impeached by the House is removed from office pending the outcome of a Senate trial, in contrast to how it works in the federal government. To replace the vacancy, the governor may designate an interim. 

Republicans delivered a startling rebuke to Paxton on Wednesday in a chamber where he has long had supporters and allies, including Abbott, who praised Paxton as he was sworn in for a third term in January. 

Paxton referred to the hours of investigators' testimony as" false," charged the committee with deceiving the public, and branded Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan a" liberal." Additionally, Paxton has maintained since Tuesday that Phelan was intoxicated while on the job, an allegation that Phelan's office has dismissed as an effort by Paxton to" save face." 

In a written statement, Paxton said" It isn't surprise that a committee formed by liberal Speaker Dade Phelan would want to disenfranchise Texas voters and hinder my work as Attorney General. 

In order to settle a whistleblower lawsuit with top aides who accused him of wrongdoing, Paxton is asking lawmakers for authorization to spend more than$ 3 million in taxpayer money. This is why the meeting took place at this time. Lawyers for the whistleblowers applauded the committee on Wednesday for acknowledging that their clients" suffered real harm in retaliation" for accusing Paxton, and they urged legislators to approve the settlement. 

Investigators have alleged that Paxton took activities that had already been reported on by the media or made public in court documents. Despite the controversy surrounding him, Paxton has maintained his support among Republican voters in Texas and raised his image nationally by bringing legal action against President Joe Biden's team and by defending former President Donald Trump. 

In 2020, former employees of Paxton allegedly broke the law to aid a campaign donor, and they reported him to the FBI. Paxton acknowledged having an extramarital affair with a lady who worked for the contributor, Austin businessman Nate Paul. The federal criminal investigation into Paxton was taken over by the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department's Washington office in February. 

According to meeting minutes that highlight the parties were left nameless to" prevent reprisal and retaliation," the House committee has issued at least 12 subpoenas since April to people and organisations as part of its investigation. 

The committee's vice chair, state representative Ann Johnson, a Democrat from Houston, questioned whether" it was fair to say" that the attorney general's office" was effectively hijacked for an investigation by Nate Paul through the attorney general." 

One of the investigators, attorney Erin Epley, retorted," That would be my opinion."  

Requests for comments from Paul's solicitors weren't promptly fulfilled. 

Each of Paxton's detractors later resigned or lost their jobs. Since then, his agency has become unmoored by chaos behind the scenes, with seasoned solicitors leaving over actions they claim are intended to skew legal work, reward partisans, and silence dissent. But up until this point, GOP lawmakers hadn't showed much interest in investigating Paxton. 

Details about Paxton's luxurious house remodelling, which had previously drawn FBI attention, and the fact that his affair lasted longer than previously thought were among the additional information released on Wednesday. 

When Paxton's wife, state senator Angela Paxton, learned about it in 2019, it" briefly" came to an end, but by 2020, Epley, a former state and federal prosecutor, said it had resumed and was once again in progress. 

Paxton spent that year remodelling his million- dollar Austin house. According to Epley, a worker for the office of the attorney general overheard Paxton telling a contractor that his wife wanted granite countertops. The contractor reportedly said," The counters would cost$ 20,000," adding," I will have to check with Nate."