Paxton said the charges against him are based on “hearsay and gossip.”
Topline
The Texas House voted overwhelmingly to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton—a Republican and loyal supporter of Donald Trump—on Saturday, removing him from office and placing his fate with the Texas Senate following a months-long investigation into his alleged criminal activity.Key Facts
The Texas House of Representatives voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton, immediately suspending him from his job, and Senate will now decide whether he will be permanently thrown from office—and any future Texas elected office—over charges of bribery, abuse of office and obstruction.
It now moves to the Texas Senate—where Paxton’s wife Angela is a member—for a trial where a tw0-thirds majority must support removing Paxton.
Paxton responded on Twitter, calling his impeachment “illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust.”
Earlier Saturday Trump, who referred to Paxton as “one of the most hard-working and effective” attorney generals, criticized the impeachment vote—which he called “ELECTION INTERFERENCE!”—in a series of Truth Social posts Saturday, indicating he “will fight” any Republican who votes to impeach Paxton.
The Texas House General Investigating Committee filed 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton Thursday, which alleges Paxton misused public funds, accepted bribes, made false statements and abused public trust, among other charges.
