Articles of impeachment one of many troubles Texas AG Ken Paxton has faced in office
A House investigative committee recommended impeaching Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, filing 20 articles of impeachment accusing him of abusing the power of his office.
The articles of impeachment filed Thursday accuse Paxton of bribery, obstruction of justice and abuse of the public trust, among other abuses of power.
Paxton, who was sworn in as attorney general January 2015, has had a tenure riddled with controversy from a felony indictment in July 2015 to an FBI investigation in 2020.
Who is Ken Paxton?
Paxton is a 60-year-old lawyer who has served as the Texas Attorney General for three terms.
He graduated from Baylor University with a B.A. in psychology and an M.B.A. and later received a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Paxton headed up his own law firm for 14 years in McKinney.
His family are members of the Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.
Paxton has shown his support for right-wing issues and an ally of former President Donald Trump.
Ken Paxton’s 2015 felony indictment
Less than a year after being sworn in as Texas attorney general, Paxton was indicted on felony securities fraud charges July 2015. The charges allege Paxton persuaded investors to buy stock in McKinney-based Servergy Inc. without disclosing that he would be compensated for it, the Texas Tribune reported.
Paxton turned himself in to the Collin County jail in August 2015 where he was booked and released.
Despite the indictment, Paxton has served three terms in office without going to trial.
FBI investigates Ken Paxton for abuse of his office
The FBI opened a criminal investigation into claims that Paxton abused his office to help a wealthy donor in late 2020.
Top deputies in Paxton’s office reported him to the FBI in late September 2020, accusing him of abusing his office, bribery and other crimes, the AP reported.
All of the deputies either resigned, were put on leave or fired which prompted a whistleblower lawsuit.
Ken Paxton led lawsuit over legitimacy of 2020 election
Paxton was among the GOP politicians who questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election.
On Dec. 8, 2020, he filed a lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the Supreme Court of the United States for alleged unconstitutional changes to the election laws.
The lawsuit was denied by the Supreme Court and Paxton issued a statement three days later accusing the Supreme Court of refusing to determine the integrity of the 2020 election.
Transgender care for minors is ‘child abuse,’ Ken Paxton says
In Februrary 2022, Paxton issued a formal attorney general opinion that declared transgender health care for minors “child abuse” under Texas law.
The opinion said gender-affirming health care — including puberty blockers and surgery — should be classified as child abuse when used for minors. The opinion prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to direct state agencies to investigate transgender health care for youth as abuse.
An investigation by the Star-Telegram found the sources Paxton cited misleading sources in his opinion that drew parallels that don’t exist.
Gender-affirming care can include a host of services, from counseling sessions to surgery, the Star-Telegram previously reported. However, surgeries are rare for minors and medical experts recommend that such surgeries be delayed until after the person turns 18.
What articles of impeachment accuse Ken Paxton of doing
Twenty articles of impeachment were filed against Paxton Thursday accusing the attorney general of abusing the power of his office. Here are the articles:
Disregard of official duty - protection of charitable organization
Disregard of official duty - abuse of the opinion process
Disregard ofofficial duty - abuse of the open records process
Disregard of official duty- misuse of official information
Disregard of official duty- engagement of Cammack
Disregard of official duty- termination of whistleblowers
Misapplication of public resources - whistleblower investigation and report
Disregard of official duty- settlement agreement
Constitutional bribery - Paul’s employment of mistress
Constitutional bribery - Paul’s providing renovations to paxton home
Obstruction of justice - abuse of judicial process
Obstruction of justice - abuse of judicial process
False Statements in official records - State Securities Board investigation
False Statements in official records - personal financial statements
False statements in official records - whistleblower response report
Conspiracy and attempted conspiracy
Misappropriation of public resources
Dereliction of duty
Unfitness for office
Abuse of public trust
