AUSTIN, Texas — Impeached state Attorney General Ken Paxton pleaded not guilty to all 16 articles of impeachment after the GOP-controlled Senate refused to dismiss the charges.
The third-term Republican politician’s lawyers, at times, emphatically defended Paxton in each of the 16 instances that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked the defense team to enter a plea.
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“Everything … said there was false. Therefore, Attorney General Ken Paxton pleads not guilty,” said attorney Tony Buzbee, one of the two attorneys who stood by Paxton when responding to the charges read before the Senate.
Halfway through the plea process, a House manager asked Patrick to bar Paxton’s lawyers from any additional comment between entering a one-word or two-word plea.
“He can enter a plea of not guilty for his client. He can’t make speeches as he’s doing,” a House manager said.
Paxton faces a total of 16 charges of the 20 that the House had filed against him in May. The Senate panel opted to take up 16 of the charges.
The impeachment allegations center on Paxton’s relationship with Austin real estate developer Nate Paul. Paxton allegedly sought to quash a federal investigation into Paul, a campaign donor, and Paul in turn allegedly helped Paxton by employing a woman with whom the attorney general was having an extramarital affair. The impeachment charges also involve free home renovations and a cover-up that Paxton facilitated through his own office.
Articles include the disregard of official duty, misapplying public resources, constitutional bribery, causing or making false statements, conspiracy to commit crimes, dereliction of duty, unfitness for office, and abuse of public trust.
Patrick said the 30 senators should decide Paxton’s fate on each article based on two items.
“Did the House managers prove beyond a reasonable doubt any article of impeachment against the attorney general, and if so, shall that article be sustained, which would result in removal from office?” Patrick said. “If any of the 16 articles are sustained against Attorney General Paxton, he’ll be removed from office.”
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The 31-member Senate is comprised of 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats. Two-thirds of the Senate — 21 members — must vote in the affirmative to convict Paxton.
Paxton’s wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, is not allowed to vote during the trial, bringing Republicans’ total voting members down to 18.
