The Paxton MacGuffin

Follow the money:

When House members first heard details of the 20 articles of impeachment against Attorney General Paxton, Republican Texas Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth dropped a bombshell: 'I would like to point out that several members of this House while on the floor of the House doing state business, received telephone calls from General Paxton personally threatening them with political consequences in their next election.'" the outlet reported Saturday. "Geren didn't identify the lawmakers he accused Paxton of making the threats. The attorney general's office didn't respond to our email requesting comment." 

Further, CBS was able to obtain text messages that corroborate the Paxton calls. 

"But text messages obtained by CBS News Texas between Michelle Smith, one of Paxton's assistants at the Office of the Attorney General, and Republican Texas Rep. Jeff Leach of Allen, show there were hard feelings over this matter. Back in February, when Paxton asked state lawmakers to fund the $3.3 million settlement with four whistleblowers he fired, Leach told reporters he was troubled by it and wanted a hearing," the outlet reported. "In a text message to Smith, Leach said: 'I won't be talked out of doing my job and fulfilling my oath.'"

Lost in the discussion about the pending trial and the evidence against Paxton is the catalyst for this impeachment: the settlement of the fired AG employees’ suit. That amount was not approved, and Abbott is not going to call a special session to get it approved. That means the settlement is dead. But the lawsuit is still pending.

Which means, because of Paxton’s actions, the state of Texas is on the hook for his actions. Whether he is removed from office or not, the suit continues. And will the Lege fund it in two years if Paxton remains in office?

There’s been a lot of discussion about the facts that will be presented in this trial. Not much attention has been paid to the catalyst that started everything. Unlike one of Hitchcock’s MacGuffins, this one is still here, and still central to the question of Paxton’s fitness for office.

Funny thing: all Paxton’s supporters willing to spend so much to influence the outcome of the trial, but nobody offering to pay that settlement. And a lot of senators and representatives fully aware they’ll have to justify paying that settlement, or a judgment, when public schools are entering a two-year period of massive budget cuts and layoffs and the electric grid they “fixed” has barely been able to cope with the record summer-not-due-to-climate-change heat. The Lege has two more years to live with those consequences; do they really want Paxton’s as well?

The suit has to be settled, or a judgment paid. How does the Senate authorize that and let Paxton go after he already conceded liability? (You know that’s the way it will play.)

This impeachment started because the House didn’t want to pay off Paxton’s liability. Now Paxton is caught between the evidence and the settlement. There’s not a lot of wiggle room there.