Ken Paxton’s attorney cancels press conference due to gag order on impeachment trial.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Issues Gag Order Ahead of Historic Impeachment Trial
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who will oversee Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial, has issued a sweeping gag order scolding lawyers on both sides for their “inflammatory” public comments leading up to the historic September proceedings.
In the pdf of the gag order issued on Monday, Mr. Patrick states, “The court finds that individuals involved in the trial of impeachment will likely continue to make public prejudicial and inflammatory statements unless this order is issued.”
Mr. Patrick, who leads the Senate and will preside over the impeachment, issued the order just before a highly anticipated news conference with Mr. Paxton’s lead attorney Tony Buzbee. However, the news conference has now been canceled.
In an announcement for the news conference, Mr. Buzbee accused House Speaker Dade Phelan of orchestrating a “kangaroo court” that is withholding the truth from the public in its effort to impeach the Republican attorney general.
“Disgraced House Speaker Dade Phelan refuses to follow Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s lawful order requiring the disclosure of all documents used by or relied upon by the kangaroo court that impeached conservative Attorney General Ken Paxton; a flawed effort accomplished in less than three days, in a four-hour hearing, with absolutely no evidence,” Mr. Buzbee wrote in a statement shared by The Texan News on Twitter.
The impeachment has brought to light the divisions among Texas Republicans, with 60 out of 85 House Republicans voting alongside Democrats to impeach Mr. Paxton, despite there being 150 members in the Texas House.
“The bottom line is that Ken Paxton is being impeached because he is the most conservative Attorney General in America and has won numerous legal victories against Joe Biden’s lawlessness,” Mr. Buzbee’s statement continued. “He’s sued Biden almost 50 times to prevent him from shredding our constitutional rights, and now, powerful politicians in the Texas House are working to overturn an election to help Joe Biden achieve his goals.”
State senators who will serve as Mr. Paxton’s jury once his trial begins were already barred from speaking publicly about the case under rules issued earlier this summer. However, Mr. Patrick, a former Houston broadcaster and conservative talk radio host, is now reining in attorneys on both sides.
“The court finds that out-of-court statements relating to the matters of this impeachment proceeding pose a serious and imminent threat to Warren Kenneth Paxton, Jr.’s, right to a fair trial of impeachment, the ability of the members of the court to remain fair and impartial,” the gag order states.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
