Paxton is impeached. But how Texas GOP members react and how will this impact Texas politicians?
The Texas House has decided to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, resulting in the effective suspension of his responsibilities. Notably, this move comes despite Paxton receiving endorsements from former President Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
While it remains uncertain whether these endorsements will sway Republican Senators who will be involved in deciding whether Paxton should be removed altogether, Dr. Joshua Blank, UT Austin’s Texas Politics Project’s research director, reflected this uncertainty to CBS News Texas. He stated that the senators will have to weigh in the popularity of the ex-president, a respected figure among Texas Republicans, who backed Paxton.
Paxton responded to his impeachment by expressing confidence in receiving a fair trial in the Senate while branding the House impeachment as politically motivated.
The House General Investigative Committee placed twenty charges against Paxton, including constitutional bribery, obstruction of justice, and abuse of public trust. He is accused of using his position for personal gain and benefiting one of his campaign donors.
Despite Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s promise to oversee Paxton’s impeachment trial in the Senate, he declined to cast a vote. Additionally, Trump’s endorsement of Paxton is somewhat puzzling given his close ties with Patrick. Blank commented that it’s hard to envisage Trump endorsing Paxton without Patrick’s knowledge or approval.
An important question that remains unanswered is whether Paxton’s wife, Senator Angela Paxton, will recuse herself from the trial. Efforts to contact her Senate office have been fruitless so far.
Meanwhile, Trump called out Governor Greg Abbott for his silence on the Paxton issue. Blank noted that this reluctance from Republicans to engage with the matter is not surprising.
However, the Republican House members representing Collin County, where Paxton is based, voted in favor of impeachment. These members acknowledged the weight of evidence supporting Paxton’s impeachment and subsequent trial in the Senate.
Rep. Justin Holland underscored to CBS News Texas that the state’s top law enforcement official must maintain integrity, adding, “We can do better.”
Notably, Blank opined that it’s too early to determine the impact of Paxton’s impeachment on his reputation among Texas’s conservative Republican voters. However, he speculated that his supporters might become silent sooner than anticipated if Paxton’s image has tarnished significantly.
Looking ahead, the next steps involve setting a trial date for Paxton in the Senate where he will be able to defend against the impeachment charges.
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