Ken Paxton’s impeachment exposes rifts in Texas GOP.

The Impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton: A Divided House

The recent impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has caused a rift among members of the Republican Party of Texas. The Republican-controlled House voted to impeach Paxton, sending 20 articles of impeachment to the state Senate. The House needed a simple majority of its 149 members to move forward with the impeachment, and 60 of the 85 House Republicans voted with Democrats in a final vote of 121–23.

The House impeachment process was “absolutely political targeting,” and the House General Investigating Committee process was “flawed” and “despicable,” Republican state Rep. Tony Tinderholt said during a May 30 interview on Newsmax.

The accusations against Paxton include misuse of official powers, bribery, and abuse of public trust. The 60-year-old, who has been under federal investigation, was elected to a third term in November.

A Divided House

Paxton’s supporters have denounced the impeachment, some calling it “a sham railroading of a political enemy.” Republican state Rep. Brian Harrison wrote on Twitter, “I oppose the impeachment of AG #Paxton; not because I am convinced of his innocence, but because #texlege House leadership made no attempt to adequately document his guilt not to demonstrate that this is anything other than a sham railroading of a political enemy.”

“There was no due process. The attorney general was never afforded the opportunity to defend himself like historically has happened,” Republican state Rep. Tony Tinderholt said.

Tinderholt said it can be difficult for members to vote against the speaker, but some in the House were strong enough to do it, adding that his vote was not about whether Paxton is guilty or innocent but rather the flaws in the process.

Concerns About Impeachment Process

State Rep. Matt Schaefer expressed “grave concerns” regarding the impeachment process in a lengthy statement on Twitter ahead of the vote. House members were not provided with transcripts of witness interviews or substantiating documents, according to Schaefer.

“To be clear, the full Texas House has not heard any testimony from witnesses, nor have we been provided transcripts of such testimony. As I write this, I cannot determine whether those witnesses were under oath when they were interviewed by staff. I asked two members of the committee, and they did not know the answer,” he wrote.

Schaefer said that although he opposed Paxton’s reelection during the primary and even called out the attorney general’s “very serious and moral and legal failings,” he could not vote in favor of impeachment because the House failed in its process on the matter.

Party Leader Weighs In

Republican Party of Texas Chair Matt Rinaldi said Phelan has worked to stop the “conservative direction” of the state by appointing Democrats to high-ranking leadership positions and battling conservative leaders to kill Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priorities this legislative session.

“This sham impeachment is the result of the Phelan leadership team empowering Democrats, allowing them to hold leadership positions and control the agenda. It is based on allegations already litigated by voters, led by a liberal Speaker trying to undermine his adversaries, and investigated by lawyers connected to a Democrat on the House General Investigations Committee,” he continued.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wrote on Twitter on May 29 that Phelan “left a meeting in a huff” the night before with himself and Abbott, “killing the largest property tax cut in history by demanding an appraisal cap for business commercial properties that most business associations don’t even want.”