(UnitedVoice.com) – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has been battling legal problems for eight years. In 2015, just months after taking office, he was indicted on securities fraud charges. The FBI then began investigating him in October 2020. In May, the state House voted 121-23 to impeach the AG. He’s now been acquitted of those charges and appears to be making plans for the future.
Impeachment Trial
On September 16, the Texas Senate voted to acquit Paxton on all 16 impeachment charges against him. The AG was accused of abusing his office to help a rich political donor. He was also accused of investigating whistleblowers, trying to cover up evidence in the securities fraud criminal case, and accepting bribes, among other charges.
During the 10-day trial, lawmakers heard about an ongoing affair Paxton was having. Among the lawmakers who were forced to listen to the allegations was Senator Angela Paxton, the AG’s wife. She was required to be present during the proceedings but wasn’t allowed to vote. Senators also heard about Paxton using burner phones and arguments over who paid for the attorney general’s kitchen countertops. The witnesses were about 20 former Paxton aides. Former Deputy Attorney General Blake Brickman told the Senate that he watched his boss “do brazen things […] He abused the entire office […] and it got worse and worse and worse.”
Ultimately, only two Republicans joined the Democrats and voted to convict Paxton.
Paxton’s Plans
On September 20, Tucker Carlson posted an interview with Paxton on X. The AG told the former Fox News star that he believes US Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has been in the capital for too long and he “can’t think of a single thing [Cornyn] has accomplished” for the Lone Star State or America. The AG suggested he might launch a campaign to primary the senator when Carlson asked him if he was going to run.
“Everything’s on the table for me,” Paxton said. He went on, saying he believes someone who’s going to represent the state the right way should “step up and run against” the senator.
Paxton and Cornyn have a strained relationship. The senator, who once served as Texas attorney general, criticized Paxton, calling his legal problems “an embarrassment” during the primary in 2022. During the impeachment trial, Cornyn called the allegations against Paxton “deeply disturbing.”
Cornyn isn’t up for reelection until 2026, so Paxton has some time to make a final decision about whether or not to run.
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