Texas Republicans Split Ahead of AG Ken Paxton’s Impeachment Trial
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial this week has divided Republicans in the GOP-controlled state.
The Details: Paxton’s state Senate trial is set to start at 9 a.m. CT on Tuesday. The state House of Representatives voted in May to impeach and suspend Paxton for allegedly accepting bribes, pressuring state officials to help a campaign donor, and going to great lengths to keep his donor ties and his extramarital affair from the public eye. Paxton, the third official in Texas’ 200-year history to be impeached, has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Divided TX Republicans: A successful conviction vote would require all 12 Senate Democrats and at least half of the 18 voting Republicans. In a recent poll, 47% of Texans said Paxton’s actions justified permanently removing him from office; 18% said removal was not justified, and 35% didn’t know or had no opinion. Texas Republicans were split, with 24% favoring removal and 32% opposed. Previous accusations of impropriety and a federal corruption investigation led several state Republicans to challenge Paxton in the 2022 GOP primary, which he won with 42.7% of the vote.
How the Media Covered It: News coverage came mainly from large mainstream sources like The New York Times (Lean Left bias), most of which AllSides rates as Lean Left. However, Fox News (Right bias) did not appear to cover the story during the week before the trial. Coverage from some left-rated outlets noted Paxton’s prominent role in Trump-era conservative politics.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
What to know about Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial
The impeachment trial of Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general who faces accusations of repeatedly abusing his office to help a donor, is set to begin Tuesday in the state Senate.
Paxton, a firebrand conservative Republican who has aligned himself with former President Donald Trump and played a central role in steering the state rightward in recent years, has been suspended from his duties since the GOP-led House impeached him in May.
Since taking office in 2015, Paxton has been beset by a series of scandals. He remains under indictment on securities fraud charges and...
From the Center
How Paxton’s impeachment trial may have a huge impact on Texas’ most powerful Republican leaders
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s political career will be on the line when his impeachment trial starts Tuesday. But the effects will reverberate far beyond the embattled Republican.
Paxton’s potential removal carries massive political stakes for all of Texas’ Republican leaders, from Gov. Greg Abbott to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan. No matter what happens, the trial is set to shake up the state’s politics like few events in recent history, with aftershocks that could last for years.
“You’d have to go back to the Pa Ferguson impeachment...
From the Right
Republicans Brace For Intra-Party Showdown As AG’s Impeachment Trial Set To Begin
Republicans in Texas have been publicly criticizing each other over the impeachment of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton ahead of his trial beginning on Tuesday, The New York Times reported Monday.
Paxton, a three-term incumbent, was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote on May 27 on 20 counts relating to alleged misconduct while in office. Paxton, who is suspended from his duties until the trial concludes, and his allies have published attack ads critical of supporters of his impeachment, who have also made media appearances supporting the...
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