Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — who was accused of abusing the powers of his office, eventually leading to impeachment charges — has been acquitted following a two week long trial. The impeachment proceedings were initiated by the Texas House of Representatives, who voted overwhelmingly to investigate and charge Paxton.
The trial focused on Paxton’s efforts to assist Nate Paul, a real estate developer under investigation by the FBI. According to the Associated Press, former Deputy Attorney General Blake Brickman testified that he “witnessed Attorney General Ken Paxton do brazen things on behalf of Nate Paul. He abused the entire office of the attorney general of Texas to benefit Nate Paul.”
The trial racked up a sizable bill levied on the taxpayer, with the prosecution lawyers being retained by the state at a rate of $500 per hour according to KXAN. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick recently announced that the state will begin an audit into the total cost of the investigation and impeachment of Paxton.
If the House of Representatives knew that Paxton would be tried by a majority of Republican senators, why did they initiate the trial? The trial to impeach Paxton represents not only a clear instance where justice was not served due to the extreme partisan nature of the jury, but also an egregious misappropriation of taxpayer money. Texans deserve better. Paxton needs to be tried in front of an unbiased, impartial jury — not one made up of his Republican colleagues.
