A Texas House committee has recommended impeaching Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The GOP-led investigative committee voted unanimously against one of its own members, remaining quiet about the specific charges.
A Texas House committee voted Thursday to recommend that Attorney General Ken Paxton be impeached and removed from office.
Here’s what to know about Paxton’s embattled history and what comes next:https://t.co/T4WRRg5xJR
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) May 25, 2023
"The vote comes after four investigators gave their testimony to the General Investigating Committee during a hearing on Wednesday as part of the investigation into Paxton," the Washington Examiner reported.
"The Texas attorney general has been accused of multiple crimes, including felonies such as abusing his office powers through bribery, improper influence, and creating a culture of fear and retaliation, according to the Associated Press. Paxton has denied all allegations," it added.
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 24, 2023
“The false testimony of highly partisan Democrat lawyers with the goal of manipulation and misleading the public is reprehensible,” Paxton tweeted Wednesday.
“Every allegation is easily disproved, and I look forward to continuing my fight for conservative Texas values," he added as part of a longer statement.
This decision came one day after the members heard from a team of lawyers who laid out years of misconduct allegations about the three-term Republican official.https://t.co/IMu6CK7Ajw
— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) May 26, 2023
"The investigators said they began looking into Paxton in March after a proposal emerged to use state funds to pay $3.3 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit filed by four former employees who accused Paxton of wrongdoing," KXAN-TV reported.
"They ultimately said the evidence they collected these past few months would support at least a dozen criminal charges against Paxton, including securities fraud, dereliction of duty and retaliating against employees who raised ethical concerns," it added.
If Paxton is impeached through a two-thirds majority vote in the state's legislature, he would be one of only a few to lose his position in this way in Texas.
The loss would also be a major concern for the state's Republican party which would have to deal with charges against a conservative leader in the Lone Star state.
It is unclear what the outcome of the investigation against Paxton will be, but a vote could come soon in the case that has Democrats fired up over a potential win against conservatives.
