Texas state House to vote Saturday to impeach GOP attorney general

The Texas House is set to vote Saturday on articles of impeachment against state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) on 20 charges of misconduct in office. 

The vote comes after months of an investigation from the House’s Republican-led General Investigating Committee into the allegations against Paxton, who has been under criminal indictment since shortly after he took office in 2015 for conduct from before his time as attorney general. 

Paxton was charged with multiple felonies, including securities fraud, but he has not stood trial for those charges. 

But the controversy surrounding Paxton has apparently come to a head after four former state prosecutors who were commissioned by the state House revealed the results of their investigation, finding years of alleged misconduct from Paxton while he has been in office. 

The 20 impeachment articles include disregard of official duty, misapplication of public resources, constitutional bribery, obstruction of justice, false statements in official records, conspiracy and attempted conspiracy, dereliction of duty, unfitness for office and abuse of public trust. 

Among the most notable charges include allegations that Paxton accepted bribes from a real estate developer named Nate Paul and subsequently fired four deputies who reported it to law enforcement, then reached a settlement with them that paid them using taxpayer money.

Paxton is also accused of arranging for a woman that he was having an affair with to receive employment from Paul in exchange for legal assistance, using public resources to conduct an illegitimate investigation into the deputies who were fired and not accurately disclosing his financial interests with the Texas Ethics Commission. 

Paul was sent to jail after being found in contempt of court in March. 

Paxton has denied all the allegations, saying that those seeking his impeachment are doing so for political reasons and to overturn the will of the voters who recently reelected him to a third term in November. He called on his supporters to protest outside the state House during the impeachment vote on Saturday. 

The House is scheduled to begin discussion of the impeachment vote at 1 p.m. local time. Only a simple majority needs to vote in favor of impeachment, so only a handful of Republicans would need to vote for it if all the body’s Democrats vote to impeach. 

The General Investigating Committee, which is led by Republicans, voted to advance the articles of impeachment on Thursday. 

Texas law would require that Paxton step aside from his office if he is impeached while he awaits trial in the state Senate. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) would be responsible for appointing an interim replacement during that time. 

Two-thirds of the Senate would need to vote for conviction to remove Paxton from office permanently. 

Only two officials in Texas history have been impeached. 

The impeachment effort also comes as Paxton has sparred with GOP leaders of the state House recently. Paxton accused Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) of being intoxicated during Tuesday’s session after video showed him slurring his words while presiding and called on him to resign. 

Paxton blamed Phelan for failing to uphold “critical conservative priorities.” Phelan said after the investigation into Paxton was revealed on Wednesday that the attorney general’s call is a “last-ditch effort to save face.” 

Paxton has said he looks forward to a quick resolution to the situation in the state Senate if he is impeached. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.