Texas House panel recommends impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton

The five-member House Committee on General Investigating unanimously agreed to move forward with an effort to remove the Republican attorney general after hearing from investigators Wednesday who alleged that he had broken multiple state laws and misused taxpayer funds, according to the report.

Among the felony allegations laid out by investigator Donna Cameron on Wednesday were that Paxton diverted staffers to do work benefitting a key campaign donor to the tune of $72,000 in taxpayer funds. She also alleged that Paxton gave that same donor an internal FBI file related to an investigation he faced.

Much of Wednesday’s hearing centered around the $3.3 million settlement Paxton wants taxpayers to shell out for to end a lawsuit brought against him by whistleblowers from his own office who reported him to the feds. They maintain they were fired in retaliation.

Paxton has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, although he’s been under indictment for securities fraud since 2015 and under federal investigation since 2020.

If a majority of the 149-member House approves the articles before Texas’ legislative session ends Monday, the Senate would need to convene a special session to try the case, according to the Texas Tribune. 

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This article appears in May 17-30, 2023.