| 17 September 2023
| Christie Anto
Austin, Texas - In a stunning turn of events, the Texas Senate has acquitted Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton of bribery and corruption charges, culminating in a historic impeachment trial that gripped the nation for over a week. The outcome, which was reached on Saturday, allows for the reinstatement of Paxton to his office, ending a tumultuous period of suspension that began over three months ago when allegations of abuse of power emerged.
Paxton, a staunch ally of former United States President Donald Trump, greeted the Senate verdict as a triumph for truth. In a statement, he declared, "Today, the truth prevailed. The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors."
Former President Trump also weighed in on the acquittal, congratulating Paxton for a "great and historic Texas-sized victory."
The impeachment trial, which commenced on September 5, witnessed a parade of former top aides testifying at length about what they described as Paxton's corrupt practices. These allegations included claims that he had used the power of his office to shield wealthy political donor and real estate developer Nate Paul from federal investigations. In return, it was alleged that Paul facilitated an extramarital affair for Paxton and financed home renovations.
To convict Paxton on any single article of impeachment, a two-thirds majority of the Texas Senate, equivalent to 21 senators, was required. However, no single article garnered more than 14 votes to find Paxton guilty.
An intriguing twist in the impeachment saga was the presence of Paxton's wife, Angela Paxton, who is also a state senator but was not allowed to cast a vote during the proceedings.
The trial brought to the forefront deep divisions within the Texas Republican Party. While social conservatives, who have held sway for the past decade, rallied behind Paxton, traditional conservatives contended that his actions had brought shame upon both the party and the state. In May, the Texas House of Representatives voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton on 20 articles, marking only the third time in the state's 178-year history that a sitting politician had been impeached.
The genesis of the trial was Paxton's request earlier this year that House lawmakers approve a $3.3 million settlement he had reached with former staff members who accused him of abuse of office in 2020, and who were subsequently terminated. Ultimately, state lawmakers declined to fund the settlement.
Following the conclusion of Saturday's impeachment proceedings, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, a Republican who presided over the trial as President of the Senate, criticized the entire process as a rushed endeavor lacking transparency. "Millions of taxpayers' dollars have been wasted on this impeachment," Patrick lamented. "It should have never happened this year, and hopefully it doesn't again."
Despite the acquittal, Paxton's critics remained vocal. Senator Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat who voted to convict Paxton, asserted that "a broken and corrupt system allowed Ken Paxton to abuse the powers of his office." He went on to express disappointment, stating that "Texas Republicans decided that the corruption and lies of people like Ken Paxton... are fine by them."
The verdict may have reinstated Paxton, but it hardly marks the end of his legal troubles. He is still slated to face a separate trial on felony securities fraud charges, remains under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and faces the prospect of losing his ability to practice law in Texas due to his efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.
In the wake of this impeachment trial, Texas politics continue to be roiled by controversy, with Paxton's acquittal only serving to deepen the political fault lines within the state. As the legal battles and investigations surrounding Paxton persist, the political drama in the Lone Star State shows no signs of abating.
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