Texas House Votes to Impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton

Texas’ Republican-led House of Representatives impeached state Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday in a 121-23 vote.

The Details: The impeachment was brought over charges of bribery, disregard of official duties, and abuse of public trust. Paxton will step down temporarily to face trial in the state Senate, allowing Governor Greg Abbott to appoint an interim AG.

For Context: Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, but is yet to stand trial. He is a political ally of Former President Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), and in 2020 asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the 2020 Presidential Election results. Paxton was previously a “star of the conservative movement,” according to Associated Press (Lean Left), and the change in Republican sentiments came swiftly after a state House investigative committee unveiled its investigation on Tuesday, and recommended impeachment on Thursday.

Fair Trial?: Paxton and his team have called the impeachment “politically motivated,” and criticized the committee’s hiring of outside investigators, pointing to an internal investigation that showed no wrongdoings. Paxton’s attorneys said he was not afforded basic privileges “in a system governed by the rule of law,” but the committee argued he did not get such protections because he was not facing criminal charges. Several state and federal Republicans criticized the impeachment.

How The Media Covered It: Coverage was split across the spectrum. Associated Press called the impeachment “historic” and went in-depth on allegations brought against Paxton, while Fox News (Right) focused on critical conservative perspectives.