Changes

The '''Paxton Impeachment''' is the ongoing current [[impeachment and removal|impeachment and proposed removal]] of [[conservative]] [[Texas]] Attorney General [[Ken Paxton]] from office.

The '''Paxton Impeachment''' is the ongoing current [[impeachment and removal|impeachment and proposed removal]] of [[conservative]] [[Texas]] Attorney General [[Ken Paxton]] from office.

After a two-month investigation by the Texas House Committee on General Investigating, brought on by allegations that Paxton misused his political office for his personal benefit and that of a political donor, the House vote 121-23 (with two members, one from each party, declaring themselves Present Not Voting) to impeach Paxton; this action automatically caused Paxton to be suspended from office without pay or benefits pending the trial to permanently remove him from office and disqualify him from future state or local office.<ref>Paxton cannot, however, be prohibited from running for a Federal office if he were to consider such in the future.</ref>

After a two-month investigation by the Texas House Committee on General Investigating, brought on by allegations that Paxton misused his political office for his personal benefit and that of a political donor, the House vote 121-23 (all 23 members voting nay being Republicans; two members declared themselves Present Not Voting, with one excused absence and two Democrats choosing not to cast a vote or declare Present Not Voting) to impeach Paxton; this action automatically caused Paxton to be suspended from office without pay or benefits pending the trial to permanently remove him from office and disqualify him from future state or local office.<ref>Paxton cannot, however, be prohibited from running for a Federal office if he were to consider such in the future.</ref>

After considerable debate regarding the rules for the upcoming trial, the Texas Senate voted 27-3 to begin the trial at 9AM (Austin time) on September 5, 2023.  

After considerable debate regarding the rules for the upcoming trial, the Texas Senate voted 27-3 (one member excused) to begin the trial at 9AM (Austin time) on September 5, 2023.  The three no votes were [[Angela Paxton]] (Ken's wife), conservative [[Bob Hall]] and liberal [[Sarah Eckhardt]].

The events surrounding this impeachment have occurred amid an alleged pattern of other purported political misuse of prosecutorial power, such as the indictment against [[Donald Trump]] (which took place on the same day that a key figure in the Paxton impeachment was arrested on Federal charges).   

The events surrounding this impeachment have occurred amid an alleged pattern of other purported political misuse of prosecutorial power, such as the indictment against [[Donald Trump]] (which took place on the same day that a key figure in the Paxton impeachment was arrested on Federal charges).   

The issues surrounding Paxton, which form the basis for the impeachment and proposed removal, can be divided into two areas: matters related to his indictment on securities fraud charges (under state, not Federal, laws), and matters related to his relationship with Natin (Nate) Paul, a political donor, and allegations that Office of Attorney General (OAG) resources were used for Paul's political benefit.

The issues surrounding Paxton, which form the basis for the impeachment and proposed removal, can be divided into two areas: matters related to his indictment on securities fraud charges (under state, not Federal, laws), and matters related to his relationship with Natin (Nate) Paul, a political donor, and allegations that Office of Attorney General (OAG) resources were used for Paul's political benefit.

=== Dick Weekley ===

=== Dick Weekley ===

Dick Weekley is a [[Houston]] real estate oligarch, co-founder (with brother David) of '''David Weekley Homes''', one of the largest builders of tract homes in Texas.  He is also the chairman and CEO of '''[https://www.tortreform.com/ Texans for Lawsuit Reform]''', a pro-business think tank with [https://tlrpac.org/ an associated political action committee] and [https://www.tlrfoundation.org/ an associated 501(c)(3) foundation] which has had success in changing the legal landscape of Texas law and courts, namely a controversial $250,000 cap on non-economic damages which can be awarded in a civil lawsuit.

The driving force behind this is apparently a grudge held by numerous [[Texas oligarchy|oligarchs in Texas]], among them Dick Weekley, who spent more than $5M against Paxton in his March 2022 primary only to be humiliated by Paxton's victory, and who has "given money to all those voting for impeachment ... [and] given close to 2 million dollars to the impeachment managers. Most telling he gave and raised millions to Paxton’s primary opponent, Eva Guzman."<ref>https://twitter.com/houston_cf/status/1666085107684503555?s=20</ref>

 

Weekley is a [[Houston]] real estate oligarch, co-founder (with brother David) of '''David Weekley Homes''', one of the largest builders of tract homes in Texas.  He is also the chairman and CEO of '''[https://www.tortreform.com/ Texans for Lawsuit Reform]''', a pro-business think tank with [https://tlrpac.org/ an associated political action committee] and [https://www.tlrfoundation.org/ an associated 501(c)(3) foundation] which has had success in changing the legal landscape of Texas law and courts, namely a controversial $250,000 cap on non-economic damages which can be awarded in a civil lawsuit.

Ranked #3 in the [[Texas oligarchy]] of mega-donors who pour millions into elections in [[Texas]],<ref>https://www.tiktok.com/@christackett71/video/7140661803222076718</,</ref> Weekley is thought to be one of the oligarchs who secretly pushed for the ambush impeachment of [[Ken Paxton]].  Weekly has taken an immense contribution by a [[social conservative]] and yet advances the [[liberal agenda]] by pushing for the removal of this elected [[conservative]] official.

Ranked #3 in the [[Texas oligarchy]] of mega-donors who pour millions into elections in [[Texas]],<ref>https://www.tiktok.com/@christackett71/video/7140661803222076718</,</ref> Weekley is thought to be one of the oligarchs who secretly pushed for the ambush impeachment of [[Ken Paxton]].

Weekley was a big supporter of Eva Guzman in the March 2022 primary, whom Paxton defeated by a landslide.<ref>https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/12/texas-eva-guzman-attorney-general-fundraising/</ref>  Weekley may have felt humiliated by how his candidate received only 17.5% (third behind Paxton and Bush, only ahead of Gohmert) of the vote in running against Paxton in that primary.<ref>https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Attorney_General_election,_2022_(March_1_Republican_primary)</ref>  Weekley apparently poured more than $5 million from himself (more than $1M), the Texans for Lawsuit Reform organization he controls (more than $3M), and wealthy donors he directs (e.g., Jan E. Duncan), into supporting Guzman in that failed attempt to defeat Paxton in his March 2022 primary.<ref>https://ballotpedia.org/Eva_Guzman</ref>

Weekley was a big supporter of Eva Guzman in the March 2022 primary, whom Paxton defeated by a landslide.<ref>https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/12/texas-eva-guzman-attorney-general-fundraising/</ref>  Weekley may have felt humiliated by how his candidate received only 17.5% (third behind Paxton and Bush, only ahead of Gohmert) of the vote in running against Paxton in that primary.<ref>https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Attorney_General_election,_2022_(March_1_Republican_primary)</ref>  Weekley apparently poured more than $5 million from himself (more than $1M), the Texans for Lawsuit Reform organization he controls (more than $3M), and wealthy donors he directs (e.g., Jan E. Duncan), into supporting Guzman in that failed attempt to defeat Paxton in his March 2022 primary.<ref>https://ballotpedia.org/Eva_Guzman</ref>

=== Karl Rove ===

=== [[Karl Rove]] ===

 

On February 10, 2022, blogger Imil Amani wrote, "Karl Rove and the Bushes despise Ken Paxton. They will do anything and at all cost to remove Texas’s best Attorney General from office."<ref>https://granitegrok.com/blog/2022/02/texans-must-reelect-ken-paxton</ref>

On February 10, 2022, before Paxton's reelection by 800,000 votes, blogger Imil Amani wrote, "Karl Rove and the Bushes despise Ken Paxton. They will do anything and at all cost to remove Texas’s best Attorney General from office."<ref>https://granitegrok.com/blog/2022/02/texans-must-reelect-ken-paxton</ref>

[[Karl Rove]], considered by some to be a master of dirty tricks against [[conservative]]s, has deep ties in [[Texas]] where he has close ties to mega-donors, the Bush family ([[Ken Paxton]] defeated [[George P. Bush]] in March 2022), and savvy lobbyists.

Considered by some to be a master of dirty tricks against [[conservative]]s, Rove has deep ties in [[Texas]] where he has close ties to mega-donors, the Bush family, and savvy lobbyists.

On May 31, 2023, Rove oddly published an anti-Paxton editorial in the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' misleadingly and disparagingly entitled ''Viewer’s Guide to Ken Paxton’s Impeachment'', "The Texas attorney general’s scandal allegedly entails an affair, fraud, payoffs and even the FBI."<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/viewers-guide-to-ken-paxtons-impeachment-texas-ag-corruption-affair-480694cc</ref>  Rove's rant in the WSJ against Paxton and in favor of the ambush impeachment had a tremendous amount of detail which was presumably fed to Rove by an insider. the  

On May 31, 2023, Rove oddly published an anti-Paxton editorial in the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' misleadingly and disparagingly entitled ''Viewer’s Guide to Ken Paxton’s Impeachment'', "The Texas attorney general’s scandal allegedly entails an affair, fraud, payoffs and even the FBI."<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/viewers-guide-to-ken-paxtons-impeachment-texas-ag-corruption-affair-480694cc</ref>  Rove's rant in the WSJ against Paxton and in favor of the ambush impeachment had a tremendous amount of detail which was presumably fed to Rove by an insider. the