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A Texas state senator wants to reopen the impeachment case in opposition to state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
State Sen. Drew Springer, a Republican from Muenster, urged his colleagues within the Texas Senate to take a second have a look at impeachment charges in opposition to Paxton after the legal professional normal stated he wouldn’t contest allegations in a whistleblower lawsuit.
“He cannot admit guilt while claiming innocence,” Springer wrote on X. “I urge the Lt. Gov & my Senate colleagues to consider reopening Paxton’s impeachment. Paxton has not only admitted to violating the articles of impeachment, but he is exposing Texas taxpayers to a settlement of WELL OVER $3.3M. Texans deserve the truth!”
Paxton was acquitted in September of all impeachment articles filed in opposition to him for corruption and unfitness for workplace. He had confronted accusations that he misused his political energy to assist actual property developer Nate Paul — allegations that stemmed from a lawsuit filed by 4 former staff who reported him to the FBI.
TEXAS AG PAXTON ACQUITTED ON ALL IMPEACHMENT CHARGES: ‘THE TRUTH PREVAILED’
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks exterior the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 1, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The whistleblowers — Blake Brickman, Ryan Vassar, Mark Penley and David Maxwell — claimed that they have been unjustly terminated for reporting Paxton.
Springer voted for Paxton’s acquittal on 16 impeachment charges at trial in September. However, he now says that “recent developments have made me question whether AG Paxton and his legal team misled the Senate.”
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, heart, and authorized counsel Lana Myers, proper, pay attention to protection and prosecution attorneys in the course of the impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton within the Senate Chamber on the Texas Capitol in Austin on Sept. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
What occurred? Last week, the Office of the Attorney General stated in a court docket submitting it might “obtain a verdict in this case in its favor,” however as an alternative moved to settle the lawsuit to “stop the self-aggrandizing political weaponization of our State’s courts by rogue employees who have what seems to be a monomaniacal goal to undermine the will of the voters,” FOX 7 Austin reported.
“Doing so precludes further unwarranted expense to the people of the State of Texas as well as the disruption to the State’s principal law enforcement arm — the time and personnel of which are more appropriately dedicated to the business of the State of Texas and not the personal, political agenda of four rogue, former employees,” the submitting states.
EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR DETAILS SURFACE IN HISTORIC IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON
Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton, heart, sits together with his attorneys Tony Buzbee, left, and Dan Cogdell throughout his impeachment trial within the Senate Chamber on the Texas Capitol in Austin on Sept. 5, 2023. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News through AP, Pool)
In the submitting, Paxton acknowledged, “OAG hereby elects not to contest any issue of fact in this case, as to the claim or damages.”
Springer argues this quantities to an act of contrition that must be reviewed by the legislature.
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“While AG Paxton claims this decision is not an admission of guilt, the fact of the matter is it is an admission of guilt. He can’t accept the whistleblower’s claims against him while touting that he’s innocent against those very claims,” Springer stated.
The Office of the Attorney General didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
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