The Texas House of Representatives took the unprecedented move to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday following an investigation into allegations of corruption.
After the 121-23 vote, in which two members voted present, Paxton was temporarily suspended from his office as he now has to wait for a trial in the Senate.
Paxton faced 20 articles of impeachment. The articles allege that Paxton committed a number of infractions, including violating the state’s whistleblower law, entering “into a settlement agreement with the whistleblowers that provides for payment of the settlement from public funds,” violating the Securities Act, and other activities.
Axios noted that Paxton is only the “third state official in Texas history to be impeached,” following a former governor in 1917 and a judge in 1975.
Following the impeachment, Paxton issued a tweet claiming that the impeachment is “illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust.”
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. I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just. pic.twitter.com/fEiAroA2DW
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 27, 2023
On Tuesday, it was revealed that the state House Committee on General Investigating was probing Paxton’s attempt to settle a 2020 lawsuit using an alleged $3.3 million in public money. As part of its investigation, the committee has subpoenaed Paxton’s office for records.
Four former employees of the attorney general’s office brought the suit in 2020, claiming they were retaliated against after accusing Paxton of corruption. The state legislature refused to fund the settlement, so the case continues to work its way through the courts.
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.