As RedState reported, Texas AG Ken Paxton was acquitted of all impeachment charges on Saturday, representing a blow to Democrats and a group of Republicans who had sought to remove him from office. The impeachment centered on various corruption charges involving a real estate deal and several so-called whistleblowers.
Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan, who has also helped block school choice in the Lone Star State, spearheaded the effort, with articles of impeachment officially passed in May. After a tense several hours of every individual charge being voted on, Paxton came out victorious. It would have taken 21 votes to convict, but in the end, the attorney general enjoyed majority support and never even had to break a sweat.
In response, Paxton put out a barn-burning statement, savaging those who sought to take him down.
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) September 16, 2023
While he went after Phelan directly, Paxton laid most of the blame on the Biden administration, claiming his impeachment was organized to punish him for his political views. At the end of the statement, he promises retribution, something that will no doubt interest many Republicans who have been waiting for a state AG to fight fire with fire. It will be especially interesting to see what Paxton does on the border crisis. He’s been sidelined since the spring, even as Gov. Greg Abbott has escalated various measures, and one would assume he’s chomping at the bit to get back to work.
Some questions about where things go next will be answered relatively soon. Paxton is scheduled to sit down with Tucker Carlson soon for an interview. You can bet he’s not going to hold back.
