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Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed an interim attorney general on Wednesday afternoon. The action by the governor followed the automatic suspension of Attorney General Ken Paxton that resulted from his impeachment by the Texas House of Representatives on Saturday.
Governor Abbott appointed former Texas Secretary of State John Scott to act as interim attorney general until the conclusion of an impeachment trial in the Senate. He will serve in the position until the conclusion of a court of impeachment in the Texas Senate that is scheduled to begin not later than August 28.
“John Scott has the background and experience needed to step in as a short-term interim Attorney General during the time the Attorney General has been suspended from duty,” Governor Abbott said in a written statement. “He served under me in the Texas Attorney General’s Office and knows how the Office of the Attorney General operates.”
Governor Abbott previously appointed Scott to serve as his Secretary of State. Prior to that, Scott served as Texas Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation under then-Attorney General Abbott.
The governor said Scott aided in Abbott’s “efforts to hold the Obama Administration accountable and sue President Obama more than any other state Attorney General. Scott oversaw all civil litigation, including over 22,000 lawsuits involving Texas.”
On Monday, the Texas House appointed 12 impeachment managers to present the evidence to an eventual trial in the Texas Senate.
