Prosecutor Ken Paxton during a session of his impeachment trial. Adam Davis (EFE)
Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, has published the impeachment proceedings. The Republican majority in the state Congress acquitted the official this Saturday of the allegations against him, including bribery, corruption and misconduct from the institution he has headed since 2015. The trial, the first in the state in more than a century, highlighted partisan divisions between Democrats and Republicans. The former voted unanimously to fire Paxton, while the latter were divided. However, the required majority of 21 MPs was not reached to find the prosecutor guilty. “Using impeachment as a weapon to resolve political differences is not only wrong, it is immoral and corrupt,” Paxton said after learning of the Senate vote.
“Today the truth has prevailed,” Paxton wrote in a statement. “The truth cannot be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors. I’ve said it many times: I’m looking for the truth! And that is exactly what was achieved,” said the official, who was removed from office in May until the case was resolved by the 30 senators. The prosecutor has accused President Joe Biden’s administration and House Speaker Dade Phelan of coordinating the trial, which he called a “farce.”
Paxton was not present at legislative headquarters in Austin, the capital of Texas, to see lawmakers acquitted him on each of the 16 articles drafted by a special committee of the Texas House of Representatives. The special group of congressmen accused him of favoring a real estate entrepreneur who was being investigated by federal and state authorities. In return, Paxton would have received a favor. This included the employment of a woman in the property developer’s company with whom he had an extramarital affair.
Paxton’s wife, Senator Angela Paxton, was able to watch the two-week trial without voting rights or participating in the deliberations. During this time, prosecutors called witnesses to the Capitol to testify about the prosecutor’s alleged crimes. As in a trial, they could also be questioned by Ken Paxton’s defense. The role of judge was taken over by the lieutenant governor, his fellow Republican Dan Patrick. This Saturday he promised revenge against the Democrats who initiated the proceedings in the House of Commons. “Millions of citizens’ money was wasted in this impeachment,” Patrick said. “I will be launching an audit into expenditure made since the investigation began in March until today. The House of Representatives should never conduct a trial like this year again,” he added.
The 30 senators voted on a ballot for each of the 16 articles of impeachment against Paxton. Adam Davis (EFE)
“The burden of proof has simply not been met beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Republican Sen. Charles Schwertner, who said in a statement that impeachment is a powerful political tool that must be used carefully. The only two Republican senators who voted to impeach Paxton left the Capitol without making statements to the press. The case has exposed divisions within the party ahead of the 2024 elections between the ultra-conservative sectors and the more traditional bloc.
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This Saturday’s acquittal represents support from the hardest sector of the right for Paxton, a 60-year-old Christian who has actively fought against abortion, immigration, pro-gun and other conservative causes from the prosecutor’s office.
“The jury has spoken,” Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas’ most prominent Republican, said in a statement. The president, who was attorney general of Texas before running for governor, asserted that Paxton received a “fair trial.” “I hope to continue to work with him to secure the border and protect Texas from the interests of the federal government,” he said.
The end of the impeachment trial does not mean that Paxton’s legal troubles will end. The prosecutor is facing a trial brought after an FBI investigation into alleged stock fraud. The case has stalled as it is still awaiting a trial date despite being filed seven years ago. Paxton’s chances of appearing in court on this charge are currently slim. If found guilty, he would face a prison sentence of at least five years.
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