TEXAS, USA — The Texas House of Representatives voted Saturday to impeach the state's attorney general Ken Paxton in a 121-23 vote.
The vote triggers Paxton’s immediate suspension from office pending the outcome of a trial in the state Senate and empowers Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to appoint someone else as Texas’ top lawyer in the interim.
Within minutes after the vote, Paxton released the following statement on his social media accounts:
"The ugly spectacle in the Texas House today confirmed the outrageous impeachment plot against me was never meant to be fair or just. It was a politically motivated sham from the beginning. My office made every effort to present evidence, testimony and irrefutable facts that would have disproven the countless false statements and outright lies advanced by Speaker Dade Phelan and the Johnson panel he appointed. Unfortunately, they refused to consider anything that would interfere with their desired result. They disregarded the law, ignored the facts, and demonstrated contempt for Texas voters.
Texas voters now know that Speaker Phelan and the corrupt politicians he controls are more focused on political retribution against conservatives than the welfare of the people. Instead of passing critical legislation that would strengthen our border, protect our election, or stop the Chinese Communist Party from buying up Texas land, they chose to spend the final days of the legislative session smearing me.
Phelan's coalition of Democrats and liberal Republicans is now in lockstep with the Biden Administration, the abortion industry, anti-gun zealots, and woke corporations to sabotage my work as Attorney General, including our ongoing litigation to stop illegal immigrants, uphold the rule of law, and protect the constitutional rights of every Texan.
But the people of Texas know that I have always had their back, and in return, they have always had mine. What we witnessed today is not just about me. It is about the corrupt establishment's eagerness to overpower the millions of Texas voters who already made their voices heard when they overwhelmingly re-elected me.
I am beyond grateful to have the support of millions of Texans who recognize that what we just witnessed is illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust. I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just."
Paxton has been impeached on 20 articles, including bribery and abuse of public trust. Click here to read all 20 articles of impeachment.
He has been under FBI investigation for years over accusations that he used his office to help a donor and was separately indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, though he has yet to stand trial. Until this week, his fellow Republicans had taken a muted stance on the allegations.