Texas’ GOP-led House of Representatives impeached state Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday on articles including bribery and abuse of public trust, a sudden, historic rebuke of a fellow Republican who rose to be a star of the conservative legal movement despite years of scandal and alleged crimes.
The vote triggers Paxton’s immediate suspension from office pending the outcome of a trial in the state Senate and empowers Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to appoint someone else as Texas’ top lawyer in the interim.
“I am beyond grateful to have the support of millions of Texans who recognize that what we just witnessed is illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust,” Paxton tweeted Saturday, sharing a lengthy statement. “I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just.”
Republicans gave up one of their own so they could pat themselves on the back for the debt deal.Paxton was a thorn in Biden’s side suing the administration over the open border.