Key takeaways:
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing new risks to his political future after an investigative state House committee laid out an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking.
- Paxton himself remains under indictment over accusations of securities fraud charges from 2015.
- The House committee is investigating the allegations and will decide whether to refer the matter to a grand jury, and Paxton’s political future remains uncertain.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing new risks to his political future after an investigative state House committee laid out an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking. On Tuesday, Paxton called on Texas House Speaker Dave Phelan to resign at the end of the legislative session, after a video of Phelan appearing to slur his speech while presiding over the chamber Friday went viral.
“Texans were dismayed to witness his performance presiding over the Texas House in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication,” Paxton said in a statement.
Paxton himself remains under indictment over accusations of securities fraud charges from 2015, and his agency has come unmoored by disarray behind the scenes, with seasoned lawyers quitting over practices they say aim to slant legal work, reward loyalists and drum out dissent.
The House committee heard testimony on Wednesday about the criminal accusations against Paxton. The committee is investigating the allegations and will decide whether to refer the matter to a grand jury.
Paxton is seeking to fend off legal troubles and win a third term as Texas’ top law enforcement official. He has denied any wrongdoing and has said he is the victim of a political witch hunt.
The committee’s investigation is ongoing and it is unclear what the outcome will be. In the meantime, Paxton’s political future remains uncertain.
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