(NewsNation) — Now that the Texas House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly to impeach the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton will face a trial in the Senate.
A supporter of Former President Donald Trump, Paxton was considered a rising conservative figure to some — but a number of controversies have trailed him during his time in office. Over the weekend, the Texas House sent 20 articles of Paxton’s alleged misconduct over to the Senate, which is expected to conduct the trial this summer.
What happened?
On Saturday, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Paxton, immediately suspending him from office in a final 121-23 vote.
This vote was led by his fellow Republicans, with 60 House GOP members, or 71% of the party’s caucus, ultimately voting to oust Texas’ embattled top attorney.
What can we expect from the trial?
The Senate announced Monday that the trial will start no later than Aug. 28. As with any other impeachment, the 20 articles from the House are similar to an indictment. Lawmakers can vote to convict or acquit Paxton.
This is the third time in Texas history impeachment proceedings have been brought forth.
While just a simple majority was needed to vote to impeach Paxton, a Senate conviction will require a two-thirds majority of the chamber’s 31 members.
12 House members were appointed to effectively serve as prosecutors during the trial.
The Senate will set its own trial rules for the proceedings, which will include sworn testimony from witnesses.
Texas state law requires that all senators be present at the impeachment trial. However, state Sen. Angela Paxton is married to the attorney general, presenting her with a conflict of interest. It is unclear if she will recuse herself from her spouse’s Senate trial.
What happens if Paxton is convicted in the Senate?
If Paxton is convicted, he would be permanently prohibited from holding office in Texas. If not, he will be considered acquitted and can continue in his role as attorney general.
What are the charges against Paxton?
House Resolution 2377 states that charges against Paxton include:
- Disregard of official duty
- Misapplication of public resources
- Constitutional bribery
- Obstruction of justice
- False statement in official records
- Conspiracy and attempted conspiracy
- Misappropriation of public resources
- Dereliction of duty
- Unfitness for office
- Abuse of public trust
What are some of the scandals Paxton has faced?
The attorney general is accused of using his office to help friend, donor and real estate developer Nate Paul. His accusers say Paxton interfered in the foreclosure of some of Paul’s properties and tried to get him inside information during a criminal investigation. In exchange, they say, Paul helped renovate Paxton’s home.
One of the 20 impeachment articles alleges Paul hired a woman Paxton recommended — with whom the attorney general was having an extramarital affair.
People who worked for Paxton raised their concerns about his behavior regarding Paul, and some were fired in 2020. The employees who were let go filed a whistleblower lawsuit, which Paxton wanted to settle for more than $3 million.
That’s when a House committee launched its investigation into the lawsuit. The Department of Justice is also looking into it.
Another group of allegations concerns a 2015 securities fraud case against Paxton in his home county of Collin. That case has not yet gone to trial. Articles of his impeachment accuse Paxton of interfering with the case and lying to officials about financial statements.
Who is the interim attorney general?
Brent Webster is now leading the Texas attorney general’s office in Paxton’s stead.
He was first appointed by Paxton to be first assistant attorney general in 2020, according to the attorney general’s website. Before that, Webster served as a criminal prosecutor in Texas for 10 years, and was first assistant district attorney in Williamson County, where he was awarded the “Crime Victim Advocate Hall of Fame Award.”
Webster graduated from the University of Houston Law Center in 2005, and received an undergraduate degree at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.
In a memo after Paxton’s impeachment, Webster told his colleagues, “the day-to-day operations of the agency will continue smoothly,” WFAA reported.
“The state of Texas has no better elected official than Ken Paxton defending citizen’s rights, fighting for justice, and preserving freedom,” Webster wrote, per the news outlet. “You can rest assured that the executive team will continue to work tirelessly.”
WFAA writes that Webster was “intimately involved” in Paxton’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, in which President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump. However, a state judge in 2022 threw out the state bar’s attempt to punish Webster for this, according to WFAA.
Does Paxton have any supporters? What have they said?
Texas Rep. John Smithee voted against impeaching Paxton, saying “there may be a lot of evidence out there, there may be volumes of evidence that would justify impeachment, but we don’t got it, we don’t have it.”
More than 200 people protested outside the Collin County Courthouse to support Paxton, CBS Texas reported on Monday.
One of the protesters was Plano City Council member Shelby Williams, who, like others, criticized what he saw as a rushed impeachment, and a lack of due process.
“As much as we need to hold our elected officials accountable, we need to hold the process even more accountable,” Williams said.
A statement from Paxton said he is “beyond grateful” for people’s support, and called the impeachment proceedings ” illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust.”
“I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just,” he said.
Taking to social media, Trump defended his longtime ally: “Hopefully Republicans in the Texas House will agree that this is a very unfair process that should not be allowed to happen or proceed,” he wrote, according to USA Today. “I will fight you if it does.”
Meanwhile, there is one powerful Texan who has remained silent: Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to say anything about Paxton’s impeachment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.