Ken Paxton Got Himself Impeached (UPDATED)

 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) impeached by Texas House of Representatives 121-23 pic.twitter.com/wlNtCgGlB2

— Acyn (@Acyn) May 27, 2023

I believe that is the Speaker of the Texas House Dade Phelan who was censured for being drunk on the floor but frankly, when I watched this without audio, I thought the man would have more slurring because I'm not saying I know drunk when I see it, but I have known drunk when I've been it. Drunk or sober, the count is what it is, and Ken Paxton got hugely impeached by the supermajority Texas House. This wasn't about liberals trying to get him, and this wasn't about RINOS trying to get him. This was about the creep of Ken Paxton's various problems becoming not just his problem, but the State Leg. problem, and they did not want that for themselves.

Ken Paxton has been under indictment since 2015, and certainly has faced election and won election while people knew he was a credibly accused crook. Certainly, both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have made this argument in Paxton's favor. Why not let the voters decide next time around? They say his problem is being too MAGA and probably the obvious Republicans who would vote against him are some kind of RINO. I'm not surprised by Trump having this amoral response in favor of the RAGA AG who wanted to sue the swing states (including mine!) for not picking Trump as president, (I wish I was kidding.)  I guess I'm not surprised about Ted Cruz because Ted Cruz is just bad about everything though? 

Was he not picking up on the anti-Paxton vibe before he shouldered in? Or is his heart in Cancun? (Do they pretend he speaks bueno Spanish there or something?) It definitely seems like he might not have been in the room he wanted to read, or maybe took for granted that Republicans aren't ever wrong but can only be wronged.  

Sure and Matt Schlapp thought the weight CPAC had some bearing on their decision, also too, opining on Twitter:

Sure, this about standing up to the whacko left and not trying to induce regular Republicans into his bribery bullshit. Whev. 

Charlie Kirk did the same thing:

Yeah. OK, big donor-fueled figureheads of conservatism who definitely know what is up--guess what, your opinion counted for nothing because Paxton is actually pond scum, and the TX leg knew it. And it gets old, and it doesn't help them do their job to have someone so inimical to the law be in that position. At some point, can't any Republican receiving some form of accountability just be what it is? 

Now. maybe he holds on because there's the Senate. and whatever. But what if it actually hurts law enforcement in Texas if their chief lawman is also a crook? That is something way more serious to talk about for conservatives amongst themselves than whether the media is wrong for paying attention to it, wouldn't you think?

I would.  But I am by no means a Republican. 

UPDATE: You know, I'll just address this down here as an aside: Ken Paxton went on Bannon's War Room show and told folks he prevented 2.5 million ballots from Harris County in the 2020 election, which led to some folks talking about whether he "rigged" the election for Trump, to which I would say:

Probably not, he's just bragging?  He's misrepresenting what he did, because Harris Country voters could still get hold of mail in ballots and vote, just not as easily. It does make you think about what he's trying to front, though--he wants people to think he rigged things. He wants to be seen as a MAGA macher.  In his corrupt brain, if you aren't trying to cheat, are you even trying to win? 

Sure, that's to get the marks who support Trump to gather around his flaming ass like a celebratory bonfire. Maybe he's got a legal GOFUNDMYSTUPIDLIFE fund about to drop. But I just thought I'd point out the hilarity of someone whose best defense is "I also tried to do some other electoral criming." Because crime is ok depending on if you do it for the right tribal reasons, M'kay?  

UPDATE: Apparently, the arguments against Paxton in the TX Senate trial are going to be some real heavy-hitters and they see abuse of power all over his time in office. 

Hardin added that House Republicans should be commended for deciding to put party politics aside and voting to advance the case against Paxton, adding the suspended attorney general would be guaranteed a fair and proper proceeding.

“General Paxton should be able to present any and all defense he wants with witnesses,” he said. “His lawyers should be allowed to cross-examine the witnesses we present. And we similarly should be able to bring live witnesses before the public.”

Despite that, Hardin also noted he was “shocked” at the evidence he’s seen so far.

“This is not about a onetime misuse of an office. It's not about a two-time misuse of the office. It's about a pattern of misconduct and use in the office,” he said.