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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday faced sudden new risks to his political future as an investigative state House committee laid out an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking that has long trailed one of Texas’ top Republicans.
For more than two hours, investigators presented findings alleging that Paxton sought to hide an affair, misused his office to help a donor, skirted protocols “grossly outside” norms and built a culture of fear and retaliation in his office. Investigators told the GOP-led House General Investigative Committee that there was evidence that Paxton had committed multiple felonies and misdemeanors over the years, including misuse of official information, abuse of official capacity and retaliation.
The dramatic turn of events in the Texas Capitol unleashed a new test of Paxton’s durability in a way the conservative firebrand has not previously confronted despite a felony indictment in 2015 and an ongoing FBI investigation. The House committee’s investigation has been quietly going on for months and did not come to light until Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear how the House General Investigative Committee might act on the findings. The committee’s hearing began as Paxton sought legislative approval of more than $3 million in taxpayer dollars to a settle a whistleblower lawsuit with top aides who accused him of corruption.
