The Texas Republican Party has been thrown into some turmoil in recent weeks as the Republican-controlled legislature took the extraordinary step of impeaching Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general, who is also a Republican.
Paxton is now only the third official to be impeached in Texas history, and he will soon face trial in the state Senate.
Late last month, lawmakers formally charged him with breaking the law, abusing office, accepting bribes and obstructing justice, and, as the dictates the state constitution, their subsequent impeachment immediately removed him from office pending the results of the Senate trial. If two-thirds of the state Senate votes to convict him of even one of the charges, he will be permanently removed.
Paxton’s trial will be the first impeachment trial in decades, and it has already captured national attention as former President Donald Trump and his allies rally behind him.
“ELECTORAL INTERFERENCE! Free Ken Paxton, let them wait for the next election! Trump recently wrote on social media.
Here’s what you need to know.
What are the charges against Paxton?
On May 27, the State House impeached Paxton on 20 articles of impeachment, charging him with contempt of official duty, misuse of public resources, constitutional bribery, obstruction of justice, misrepresentation in documents officials, conspiracy and attempted conspiracy, dereliction of duty, unfitness for office and breach of public trust.
Many of the charges relate to Paxton’s relationship with Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor and wealthy donor whom the Texas Republican aided and protected. Other charges relate to his retaliation against whistleblowers who reported his conduct.
According to the articles of impeachment, Paxton:
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Ordered his employees to intervene in a lawsuit between a non-profit group and Paul
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Issued a legal opinion that helped Paul, disguising his involvement by having a state senator seek the opinion
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Shared information obtained through his office with Paul
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Hiring an outside attorney to investigate a ‘baseless complaint’ filed by Paul
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Accepted bribes in the form of renovations to his house and a job for a woman with whom he had had an extramarital affair
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Fired and retaliated against whistleblowers in his office, and spent government resources conducting a ‘mock investigation’ into their allegations
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Obstruction of justice by delaying criminal proceedings in his securities fraud charge
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Violation of public information laws
Many of the incidents are well known; they have been reported by local newspapers and seized upon by political opponents, and a federal corruption investigation is underway into Paxton’s conduct, according to the Associated Press. House lawmakers say their investigation and subsequent impeachment were sparked by a $3.3 million settlement Paxton reached with whistleblowers and asked the House to sign.
“I think the straw that broke the camel’s back was his belief that he could get the legislature to write a blank check for silent money, without any accountability or any attempt to come in and give an explanation” , said Rep. Ann Johnson, the Houston Democrat. and former prosecutor who presented the impeachment case to the House.
But a lawyer hired by the House to take the case to the Senate, Rusty Hardin, suggested the lawsuit would bring to light new details.
“I promise you, it’s 10 times worse than what was made public,” he said on Thursday.
What does Paxton say?
Paxton called the impeachment effort “illegal,” arguing ahead of the vote that his impeachment would overturn the will of the voters who elected him in November and “sabotage” his lawsuit against President Joe Biden’s administration.
Chris Hilton, one of his top aides, told the press conference that the allegations against Paxton were “completely baseless” and had been “debunked time and again.”
“The horrifying spectacle at Texas House today confirmed that the outrageous impeachment plot against me was never meant to be right or just,” Paxton said in a statement following his impeachment. “I look forward to a speedy resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence that the process will be fair and equitable.”
Paxton’s defenders criticized the House’s speedy impeachment process over Memorial Day weekend, but impeachment officials pointed to a secret investigation that began earlier this winter and continued quietly until to dismissal.
Investigators “had gotten to a point where it was very clear based on all the evidence before them … that there was a genuine allegation of criminal conduct on the part of the Attorney General. So what do you want “You don’t leave a child abuser in a house, do you,” Johnson told NBC News.
Behind the scenes, a member of the Texas House said Paxton threatened political consequences for Republicans.
“Do you know that the Attorney General himself called members of this House while they were sitting at their desks and threatened them?” said Rep. Charlie Geren during the House impeachment proceedings.
“God bless the poor senators, I don’t know how long it will take if this passes that they’re going to have to put up with the same bullying tactics from a man who doesn’t deserve to be in office,” he added. .
What will the trial look like?
“It is understood that the trial will proceed as a civil or criminal trial would proceed,” said Rep. Andrew Murr, a Republican from West Texas who chairs the House impeachment officials board, during a briefing. a press conference on Monday.
Lawmakers in both houses said witnesses would testify under oath about the allegations and answer questions from lawyers on both sides, he said. The same rules of evidence used in Texas civil and criminal trials will be used in the proceedings.
The 31-member Texas Senate will serve as the jury in the impeachment trial, as provided for in the Texas Constitution. There are currently 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats in office.
It is not clear if all will vote in the debates; at least two members have personal relationships and did not respond to interview requests. Senator Bryan Hughes is identified in the articles after Paxton asked him to formally seek the Attorney General’s opinion on a legal matter, and Senator Angela Paxton is the Attorney General’s wife. It is unclear if she was involved in the home renovations that Paul offered to the Attorney General’s house.
Members of the Senate were silent on the impeachment. Republican Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who chairs the Senate, said he wouldn’t talk about it.
“Don’t ask me any more questions, because I can’t answer them. Look at me like a judge in front of a case, and look at our senators like that. Be respectful of their space and time, this is very serious,” he said.
Who are the key players?
Paxton will be defended by a team of attorneys from the Attorney General’s Office, who took time off to defend their boss at trial, according to The Texas Tribune. The team includes Judd Stone, the bureau’s top appellate attorney, and Chris Hilton, head of the litigation division.
The House appointed a board of directors to handle Paxton’s prosecution in the Senate. State Representative Andrew Murr, a Republican from West Texas and a lawyer with a distinctive handlebar mustache, chairs the board, while Johnson, a Democrat from Houston and former prosecutor, is vice-chairman. Four other Democrats and six Republicans complete the committee; all but one are lawyers.
The executives hired Rusty Hardin and Dick DeGuerin, two longtime attorneys, to pursue their case in the Senate. Both are used to defending celebrities and wealthy plaintiffs, and defending or investigating politicians. Together, DeGuerin said, they have over 100 years of experience.
“Texasans have a right to know if their top cop is a crook,” DeGuerin said at a press conference Thursday.
When will this happen?
A Senate committee is expected to propose rules and procedures to the entire body by June 20. A trial will begin no later than August 28, according to lawmakers.
Whenever this happens, expect an explosive event. The historic impeachment is already drawing national attention, particularly from Trump and his allies who have defended Paxton, a key player in the legal effort to undo Trump’s 2020 loss.
“Texas House RINO Speaker Dade Phelan, who is barely a Republican and failed the voter integrity test, wants to remove one of America’s hardest-working and most effective attorneys general, Ken Paxton, who was just re-elected with a large number of American patriots who voted strongly for him,” Trump recently wrote on social media.
Who is the current Attorney General?
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, on Wednesday named former Secretary of State John Scott as acting attorney general.
This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com