State legislators could be on the
verge of taking remedial action
against the Texas Attorney General
is Ken Paxton faces the real
possibility of being impeached.
It hasn't happened in decades here
in Texas and the recommendation
is coming from Paxton's own party.
A House investigative committee spent
months quietly looking into accusations
against the Paxton and unanimously
voted today to recommend articles of
impeachment for the state's top lawyer.
The chair moves that the committee
adopts the articles of impeachment
against Warren, Kenneth Paxton,
Attorney General of the State of Texas. The
20 articles of impeachment are
essentially charges against Paxton.
They include everything from bribery,
obstruction of justice,
abuse of public trust.
And unfitness for Office senior
political reporter Jason Whiteley has
been reporting from Austin all week,
and he joins us tonight with
an exclusive interview with
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
Jason, it's a bit surreal.
Republicans potentially
impeaching one of their own.
Yeah, Chris, that can't be overlooked.
You know, right now.
Tonight, there are a lot of questions here
in Austin about what will happen next.
When exactly will the House of
Representatives take that impeachment vote?
And maybe the bigger question is,
are there enough votes in the
Republican led House to actually
impeach the Attorney General?
You know, the last time this happened
was more than a century ago.
It was 1917.
The Texas Senate convicted then
Governor James Ferguson for mishandling
of public funds and abuse of power.
Governor Ferguson's portrait still hangs
with all the other governors on the
third floor of the Rotunda in the Capitol.
But tonight here, 100 years later,
we could be on the verge of
this happening again.
If the House votes to impeach Ken Paxton,
that impeachment would then go to a trial.
And that would happen in the Senate
at the Capitol behind me.
Here, in a wide-ranging interview
for Sundays Inside Texas Politics,
the Lieutenant Governor made his first
public comments about this to us.
Take a look if impeachment happens.
An impeachment vote there
would end up in the Senate for a trial.
That's something we haven't seen in
more than a century in this state for a
statewide official, what's the process?
So the process is much like US,
the US government,
when there was an impeachment,
it came to the Senate, the US Senate.
So here, if there, if that happens,
it comes to the Texas Senate and
there will be a trial conducted.
I'm not at liberty to say anything
really beyond that because I will
be presiding over that case and
and the senators all 31 senators
will have a vote and and we'll
set the rules for that trial as
we go forward and and we'll see
what we'll see how that develops.
But I really can't make any
other comments on it. Do
you think there are votes to
convict? Based on what we
Jason I can't say a word about it I
I look if would you go to a judge
and say judge can you tell me how
the case is going to turn out.
So I I'm not at I'm not at liberty to
say and by the way I don't cast a vote
the 31 members cast a vote I preside
over it but but we were we will all
be responsible as any juror would be
if that turns out to be and I think
the members will will do their duty.
Multiple sources telling me that
that vote on impeachment in the
House of Representatives is likely
going to happen on Saturday,
if not before then.
If Paxton is impeached,
the Senate would then have to
schedule that trial we just talked
about there and that is likely to
happen within the next few months.
Remember, the legislature is
just several days away from.
Adjourning for the legislative session.
This impeachment, if it happens,
is all separate of the
actual legislative session.
But if it happens, it sets up an
unusual situation in the Senate.
The Attorney General's wife,
as you likely know,
is State Senator Angela Paxton.
And if Paxton, Kent,
Paxton goes on trial,
it likely sets up this situation where
Angela Paxton is going to have to vote.
On whether her husband Ken is
guilty or innocent of these
charges that the House alleges.
Chris and Cynthia,
quite an unprecedented time right now.
And everyone here in Austin,
everyone at the Capitol is really
trying to feel their way through
it to find out what happens
next but expects something to
happen over the next 48 hours.
Yeah, Jason, uncharted territory.
Now to the other side on Wednesday.
This is what Paxton had to say
about the investigation. Quote.
Every allegation is easily disproved.
And here's what he had to say in a
statement late this evening after the
articles of impeachment were made public.
Quote This process provided no
opportunity for rebuttal or due process.
They even refused to allow a senior
attorney from my office to provide facts.
The Texas Democratic Party released
a statement saying it fully supports
the House voting to impeach Paxton.
Democrats think it'd be
better for everyone at Paxton,
saved legislators the trouble
and taxpayers money and simply
resign on his own accord.