AUSTIN, Texas — Round after round, the nay votes kept coming in on Saturday. Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted. Texas Democrats say their Republican counterparts in the Texas Senate caved under pressure from national Republican groups to clear him of impeachment charges involving accusations of corruption and bribery.

What You Need To Know

  • Texas Democrats say their Republican counterparts in the Texas Senate caved under pressure from national Republican groups to clear AG Ken Paxton of charges
  • Conservatives such as Donald Trump, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk made statements in support of Paxton

  • This comes as the Texas Legislature will reconvene later this year for a special session on education

  • Just two Republican senators voted to convict Paxton on any of the articles of impeachment

“You have outside influences that are pressuring a jury and I know they were getting an enormous amount of pressure by third party groups, activist types,” Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, told Spectrum News. “What started out as a very impartial process took a quick turn to a very partisan process, outcome, really.”

Former President Donald Trump, a Paxton ally, shared on social media Monday after the verdict: “Yes, it is true that my intervention through TRUTH SOCIAL saved Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.” 

Just weeks earlier, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon urged listeners to apply pressure to state lawmakers. On a show during the first week of the impeachment trial, Bannon said: “We are calling on all MAGA to light the phone up of those senators.”   

Charlie Kirk, the founder of conservative group Turning Point USA, said on his show earlier this month: “Any Republican who votes for this needs to be removed from office.”

This comes as the Texas Legislature will reconvene later this year for a special session on education. Alvarado told Spectrum News she hopes in the wake of the historic trial, state lawmakers will be able to work together between both chambers.

“People were basically, you know, putting it in very plain language. You will get primaried.” Alvarado said. “These issues like an impeachment trial are so much bigger than all of us, than the next primary, than your next committee assignment. You have to do what's in the best interest of the state.” 

Republican consultant Matt Mackowiak said there was a campaign on both sides. He largely downplayed the influence of the national GOP, and specifically Trump. 

“If he had come out and said, 'I'm going to support primary challengers to any Republican senator who chooses to convict AG Paxton,' that would have been a much more specific and serious political threat to those senators,” Mackowiak said. “I think Republican primary voters were the issue. Conservative grassroots across the state support Paxton on these questions, and they think what the House did was really not justified.” 

Just two Republican senators voted to convict Paxton on any of the articles of impeachment. Those two senators, Kelly Hancock and Robert Nichols, won’t face reelection until 2026.