The Paxton Impeachment Ain’t About Dade Phelan

Articles of impeachment against Attorney General Ken Paxton include 20 articles including misapplication of public resources, constitutional bribery and obstruction of justice #txlege https://t.co/L2cjUJJ3fO

— James Barragán 🌟 (@James_Barragan) May 26, 2023

"Here are the 20 articles of impeachment filed against Ken Paxton.”

The tl:dr is that eight charges are directly related to Paxton using his office to help his friend and political donor Nate Paul. 

Three are based on his firing of whistleblowers about his relationship with Nate Paul, which led to the civil suit Paxton settled that brought him to the House asking for $3 million.

Three more are based on his securities fraud charges.

The rest allege conspiracy and other general charges of abuse of office, mostly around the specific charges if bribery and obstruction of justice. Some of the above include charges of constitutional bribery.

A simple majority in the House can impeach, but 2/3rds of the Senate must vote to remove him from office. Paxton’s wife is a state senator. Expect the rules the Senate adopts for the trial to force her to recuse. Unless, of course, the Senate wants to make this worse.

Upon impeachment Paxton will be suspended from office pending outcome of the Senate trial.