The Texas Senate will vote on articles of impeachment against state Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. CT, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced.
The jury of 30 senators, most of them Republicans, spent about eight hours deliberating behind closed doors after the Senate concluded. A two-thirds majority would be needed to convict Paxton on any of the 16 articles of impeachment, accusing him of bribery, corruption and unfitness to hold office.
Voting can be a lengthy public process. Separate votes will be taken for each article of impeachment. Republicans hold a 19-12 majority in the Senate, and nine Republicans would need to join them if all Democrats voted to convict Paxton.
Paxton faces charges that he abused his political power It’s to help real estate developer Nate Paul. Paxton’s opponents claim the attorney general took bribes to hire Paul.
President Trump weighs in on Texas impeachment trial of Ken Paxton, claims ‘establishment rhinos’ want to ‘cancel’ election
FILE – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton releases a statement on May 26, 2023 from his office in Austin, Texas. The Texas Senate is scheduled to vote on the impeachment trial of state Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday, September 16, 2023, as corruption allegations are formally reported and Republican senators are expected to hear from the lead attorney for America’s largest Red Cross organization. They can oust their own MPs. state. ((AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
“If we don’t stop public officials from abusing their power, frankly no one can do it,” Republican state Rep. Andrew Marr, one of the Texas House impeachment managers, said in closing arguments.
Lawyers for a bipartisan group of lawmakers pushing for Paxton’s impeachment halted their case Wednesday after a woman who was scheduled to testify about Paxton’s extramarital affair suddenly appeared at trial but did not take the stand.
Details of extramarital affair surface in Texas Ken Paxton’s historic impeachment trial
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (center) listens to defense and prosecution attorneys during the impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate chamber of the Texas State Capitol on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. and General Counsel Lana Myers (right) in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
The case is at the center of lawsuits and accusations against Paul, who was investigated by the FBI and employed a woman named Laura Olson. One of the articles of impeachment against Paxton alleges that Paul’s hiring of Olson amounted to her bribery.
Lawyers for Mr. Paxton have pointed to Mr. Paxton’s long track record of challenging Democratic presidential administrations in high-profile trials that have earned praise from former President Donald Trump and conservative hardliners, and the impeachment effort has a proven track record. They say it is a ploy by the established Republican Party to exclude certain conservatives from public office.
Ken Paxton, the Texas governor’s alleged mistress, found it “impossible” to stand in impeachment trial.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton greets former U.S. President Donald Trump at a Save America rally in Robstown, Texas, on October 22, 2022. The former president held a rally with other Republican candidates and leaders to energize his supporters and voters ahead of the midterm elections. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“I think this is a political witch hunt,” Paxton’s attorney Tony Buzbee said. “I would like to say that this trial showed the nation the partisan struggle within the Republican Party.”
Paxton was previously indicted in June on charges of making false statements to a bank.
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Paxton, who has been suspended pending the outcome of the trial, has not been required to attend the trial since testimony began last week and appeared before the Senate only once, during closing arguments. His wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, sat across the room. Although she was required to attend the entire duration of her trial, she was prohibited from participating in debates or votes on the outcome of her husband’s trial.
This is a developing story and will be updated. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
