Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks throughout the Conservative Political Action Conference on the Hilton Anatole on July 11, 2021 in Dallas, Texas.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks throughout the Conservative Political Action Conference on the Hilton Anatole on July 11, 2021 in Dallas, Texas.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

AUSTIN, Texas — In a historic vote Saturday, the Texas House of Representatives determined to question Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton over allegations of unlawful actions associated to considered one of his political donors.

Paxton will instantly and briefly be suspended from his duties pending a trial within the state Senate.

Rep. David Spiller, a Republican who serves on the House General Investigating Committee, advised members that, despite the fact that he thinks Paxton has a “brilliant legal mind,” he still violated the law.

“He put the interest of himself above the laws of the state of Texas,” Spiller mentioned. “He put the interest of himself over his staff who tried to advise him on multiple occasions that he was about to violate the law.”

In a statement on Twitter after the vote, Paxton wrote, “The ugly spectacle in the Texas House today confirmed the outrageous impeachment plot against me was never meant to be fair or just. It was a politically motivated sham from the beginning.”

The decision to question now goes to the Texas Senate, which will probably be tasked with establishing a trial and deciding whether or not to convict the legal professional normal.

A historic vote

Paxton joins a small list of Texas public officials who’ve been impeached. The final was 1976.

He has denied any allegations of wrongdoings, calling the proceedings a “sham” and unlawful. He’s additionally continued to assert the impeachment vote prevents him from defending Texans from the federal authorities.

“Their plot imperials critical litigation my office has brought against the Biden administration to end the federal government’s attacks on our constitutional rights and the rule of law,” Paxton mentioned Friday in entrance of reporters.

Paxton has additionally claimed he was by no means given the chance to testify in entrance of the House General Investigating Committee.

But Rep. Ann Johnson, a Democrat who sits on the investigating committee, mentioned Paxton had already advised his story on a doc posted on his web site in response to the complaints by the whistleblowers.

Not a party-line vote

On the House ground Saturday, each Republicans and Democrats spoke for and in opposition to Paxton’s impeachment.

Republican state Rep. Charlie Geren, a member of the House General Investigating Committee, mentioned that a number of House lawmakers obtained phone calls from Paxton personally threatening them with political penalties of their subsequent election.

“One of the key responsibilities of the General Investigating Committee is to look beyond partisan affiliation in order to take the necessary steps to protect the institution that is our state and government,” Geren mentioned. “We do just that today with this resolution.”

Ahead of Saturday’s vote, Republican members of the Texas House despatched emails to their constituents asking them for assist as they weighed whether or not to question Paxton.

Rep. Cody Harris, a Republican from Palestine, Texas, wrote in an electronic mail that the choice earlier than lawmakers “cannot be ignored, particularly when done by the chief law enforcement officer in the state.” Harris voted ‘sure’ for impeachment.

Minutes earlier than the Texas House began the impeachment procedures on Saturday, former President Donald Trump posted on social media that Paxton is a buddy of his and that he would “fight” Republicans who enable the impeachment to proceed.

“Free Ken Paxton,” Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform. “Let them wait for the next election!”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton greets former U.S. President Donald Trump on the ‘Save America’ rally on October 22, 2022 in Robstown, Texas. Paxton was impeached and suspended from workplace May 27, 2023.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton greets former U.S. President Donald Trump on the ‘Save America’ rally on October 22, 2022 in Robstown, Texas. Paxton was impeached and suspended from workplace May 27, 2023.

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The allegations in opposition to Paxton

During Saturday’s vote, lawmakers listened intently as members of the House General Investigating Committee laid out the 20 articles of impeachment in opposition to Paxton.

Although some are associated to Paxton’s 2015 securities fraud federal indictment, for which he has but to face trial, many of the allegations are associated to Paxton’s relationship with Nate Paul, an Austin actual property investor.

Paul, who contributed $25,000 to Paxton’s 2018 marketing campaign, was being investigated by the FBI in 2020 when he requested Paxton to intervene in that probe.

Paxton adopted go well with, House-hired investigators mentioned, and circumvented his personal company’s insurance policies to rent an outdoor legal professional to intervene and situation subpoenas to profit Paul.

Investigators additionally discovered that Paxton pressured his employees to rewrite an opinion on COVID-19 restrictions to profit Paul.

“The last 72 hours has shown us why Ken Paxton is so desperate to keep his case in the court of public opinion. Because he has no ability to win in a court of law,” mentioned Johnson, the Democrat and member of the House General Investigating Committee.

Paxton’s allies

Even although some Republicans voted to question, Paxton continues to have allies within the Texas House.

Rep. John Smithee, a Republican who voted in opposition to impeachment, known as into query the proof the House used to maneuver ahead with impeaching Paxton.

“This House cannot legitimately, and in good faith, and under the rule of law, impeach General Paxton today on the record that it has before,” Smithee mentioned.

Smithee clarified he was not defending Paxton, however that he had points with the method.

“We’ll have to defend not only the final result that we reach today and the way we vote, but we’ll also have to defend the process by which this determination was made,” Smithee mentioned. “To me, this process is indefensible.”

The timing for a trial within the Texas Senate is unclear.

Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, the spouse of Ken Paxton, could have a vote within the matter, except she recuses herself.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the chief of the Senate, mentioned in an interview with WFAA his chamber would function jurors.

“I think the members will do their duty,” Patrick mentioned.