Texas Senator Drew Springer (R-Muenster) penned a letter to his Senate colleagues on Thursday night, urging the reopening of the Senate’s impeachment proceedings against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Springer, who previously voted to acquit Paxton in his impeachment trial last September, now feels deceived following a recent court filing by the Attorney General.
“I am asking the Senate whether there is a legal mechanism to reopen the impeachment proceedings. Failure to at least consider this possibility runs the risk of AG Paxton making a mockery of the Texas Senate,” Senator Drew Springer (R-Muenster) stated.
In a recent court filing, Paxton’s office informed a Travis County court that it would cease its resistance against a whistleblower lawsuit filed by four former top staffers. Paxton conceded that he would no longer contest allegations of illegally terminating the whistleblowers after they reported him to the FBI for bribery and corruption.
Violations of the Whistleblower Act constituted one of the Texas House’s impeachment charges against Paxton. Article 6 accused him of breaching his duties of office by retaliating against employees who made legitimate reports to law enforcement. The Texas Senate acquitted Paxton of this charge with a vote of 16 to 14, a decision Springer supported.
The whistleblowers had reported Paxton to the FBI, alleging that he utilized his office to assist Austin real-estate developer Nate Paul in exchange for personal benefits, including a job for his mistress and involvement in a home renovation project. Throughout the impeachment trial, Paxton denied any wrongdoing, persisting in his defense until the recent filing in Travis County court.
In response to Springer’s actions, Paxton stated to the Texas Tribune: “Springer has to leave the senate because he was such a bad senator, wasn’t going to get re-elected, and needed a job. Why should anyone listen to his sour grapes.”
