AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is back on the job after he was acquitted on the impeachment articles filed against him. Despite his return as the state's top attorney, Paxton's legal troubles are not over.
He's facing state securities fraud charges. A trial date is expected to be set next month, eight years after he was initially indicted. He's also under FBI investigation after former aides reported him for alleged crimes, but no charges have been filed.
Paxton's political future was likely bolstered by the outcome of the trial, and the process only escalated the civil war happening within the Texas Republican Party. That was on full display when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick delivered a fiery speech after the verdict, attacking the entire process launched by House Republicans. He slammed the Republican-led House, and House Speaker Dade Phelan, for impeaching Paxton in the first place.
“In the next regular session, we should amend the Constitution on the issue of impeachment as currently written that allowed this flawed process to happen,” Patrick said Saturday.
Patrick told a conservative radio host Monday he wrote two speeches, depending on the verdict. Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edward’s University, says he doesn’t know if Patrick knew the outcome before the vote but probably had a good guess. As lieutenant governor, Patrick presides over the upper chamber and knows the senators well.
“He's very good at counting votes because he knows how to move legislation along,” Smith said. “I think he had a real good feeling that once the smoking gun wasn't fully revealed, that the Republicans would unify around the party, and there wasn't going to be a removal vote.”
Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, said he didn’t know Paxton would be acquitted before the vote Saturday.
“I had no idea how the outcome would be,” he said. “None at all.”
Patrick’ is calling on the state auditor to provide a report to lawmakers as soon as possible. He did not respond to a request for comment, but said Saturday that millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted on the impeachment. Not everyone agrees.
“The alternative of not pursuing justice is a worse example than spending money to pursue justice,” Smith said.
Democrats mostly banded together to vote to convict Paxton on the articles of impeachment.
Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, says the trial was necessary. He voted to convict Paxton.
“It's ironic that my Republican colleagues could be questioning the cost, because when you talk about elections, they'll say, ‘The price of democracy and knowing that every election is exactly right and fair is worth any cost.’ Well, I think I say the same thing about knowing that your elected officials are… no one is above the law, everyone is accountable, and that everyone will be held accountable.”
Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to call lawmakers back to the Capitol this fall to pass education-related legislation. But many say Patrick’s speech condemning the House for impeaching Paxton might make it harder for the chambers to work together in the future.