OUTRAGE: Ken Paxton's salary was CUT OFF even though the law forbade it
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted by the Texas Senate on Saturday on 16 articles of impeachment, and Sara Gonzales is thrilled.
“What a sight to behold, our elected attorney general sitting in his office with the sign behind him,” Gonzales tells Paxton.
While Paxton is thrilled to be back as well, he admits that it’s been anything but easy — and his detractors were working overtime to make sure they got him while he was down.
“I lost all my resources, I had no campaign money left, because we’d been through a moratorium during session. I spent all my money during the campaign to win, so they knew they had me at a disadvantage,” he tells Gonzales.
While Paxton is still trying to raise money to pay his costs, those against him had as many taxpayer-funded lawyers as they wanted.
“Of course they had the media helping them; they were, you know, slipping stories to them even though there was a gag order, and then I wasn’t allowed to talk about it even if they hit me with things that were absolutely false,” he continues.
Paxton also admits he lost employees who were worried about their jobs.
“To think none of that had to happen if it weren’t for the House jamming this through with no evidence,” Gonzales says, before asking Paxton about something he revealed on Tucker Carlson’s show.
“Did I really just hear you say on Tucker last night that the Texas comptroller, Glenn Hegar, did not pay you even though he is required by law to pay you while you were forced to leave?” She asks.
“Yeah, it was an unfortunate incidence. He cut off my salary, he has no statutory authority to do that, and he knew that if I tried to fight that one, I didn’t have time,” he responds.
Hegar also knew that not only did Paxton not have time to sue, but suing in Austin would be a losing game for Paxton anyway.
“Suing in Austin is not going to be successful for me no matter what the law is. We have a lot of liberal judges here that would make a political issue out of it instead of a legal issue. But yes, he took away my salary as far as I know. I don’t have a salary back yet,” he says.
Paxton also claims that Hegar never gave him a warning; he just did it.
“When they submitted my salary, he threatened to cut off everybody’s salary in my office unless they took me out of the payroll,” he says, adding, “That’s how far Glenn Hegar went to try to keep me from getting paid.”
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GOP-controlled Texas House votes to impeach Trump ally Ken Paxton 121-23
The GOP-controlled Texas House voted 121-23 to adopt 20 articles of impeachment against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton Saturday afternoon.
"I am beyond grateful to have the support of millions of Texans who recognize that what we just witnessed is illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust," Paxton wrote in a tweet shortly after the vote, also appending a longer statement.
"I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just."
\u201cI am beyond grateful to have the support of millions of Texans who recognize that what we just witnessed is illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust. I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just.\u201d— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@Attorney General Ken Paxton) 1685224547
Today's proceedings stemmed from an investigation targeting the three-term official's request for $3.3 million to pay a settlement to former employees who accused him of wrongdoing. The fired employees accused him of using his office to benefit a campaign donor, Nate Paul, as TheBlaze reported.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called Texas' top law enforcement officer "the strongest conservative AG in the country" in a series of tweets defending Paxton prior to Saturday's vote.
"No attorney general has battled the abuses of the Biden admin more ferociously — and more effectively — than has Paxton," Sen. Cruz wrote.
According to Cruz it should be left to the courts to sort out Paxton's "legal challenges." In his view, legislators should "respect the choice of the Texas voters" since "virtually all" of the information in the articles of impeachment were public prior to voters reelecting him.
\u201c1/x What is happening to @KenPaxtonTX is a travesty.\u00a0\n\nFor the last nine years, Ken has been the strongest conservative AG in the country. Bar none. No attorney general has battled the abuses of the Biden admin more ferociously\u2014and more effectively\u2014than has Paxton.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1685202723
Former President Trump defended Paxton and criticized Texas Republican Speaker of the House Dade Phelan (R) in a series of posts on Truth Social.
Trump called Phelan "barely a Republican" who "failed the test on voter integrity."
He praised Paxton as "one of the most hard working and effective" attorneys general in the state.
Prior to the vote, Trump vowed to "fight" Republicans in the Texas House who allowed the process to move forward.
In the Senate trial, senators serve as jurors while House members will present the case as impeachment managers, the outlet also explained. Paxton's permanent removal and ban from holding future office would require the support of two-thirds of senators.
Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton to face impeachment vote in GOP-controlled House
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, will face an impeachment vote in the Lone Star State's GOP-controlled House Saturday, multiple outlets reported.
Paxton criticized the measure ahead of the vote in a press conference Friday afternoon, calling the efforts "illegal" and a "scheme to overturn a decision made by Texas voters," the Center Square reported.
"They are determined to ignore the law. They have denied me the opportunity to present the evidence, which contradicts their politically motivated narrative, and they are showcasing their absolute contempt for the electoral process," AG Paxton said in the press conference.
Paxton encouraged people to peacefully protest the proceedings.
"I want to invite my fellow citizens and friends to peacefully come let their voices be heard at the Capitol tomorrow ... Exercise your right. Petition your government," Paxton also said.
The law would require Paxton step aside from his position if he were to be impeached, according to the New York Post.
An investigative group working for the Texas House alleges Paxton used his office to help Austin real estate developer Nate Paul. The group says Paul donated $25,000 to Paxton's campaign, as NPR station KUT reported.
"To be negligent is just one thing," investigator Donna Cameron told the Texas House General Investigative Committee.
"But malfeasance is when you are actively and intentionally doing things to the detriment of the office and to your oath and to the responsibility that you have to the state of Texas and the public."
The conclusion of their months' long investigation was that Paxton allegedly committed multiple violations of the law. The investigation stemmed from Paxton asking lawmakers in Texas for $3.3 million to settle a suit brought by four former employees who accused Paxton of wrongdoing with respect to Paul.
The report indicates Paxton was allegedly "forcing staff to change a ruling on COVID-19 restrictions to benefit Paul and hired an outside attorney to serve as a special prosecutor and fight federal law enforcement on Paul's behalf," NPR reported.
Paxton called legislators' actions "deceitful," saying the credibility of the Texas House would sustain lasting damage for their actions.
The Texas House "is poised to do exactly what [President] Biden as been hoping to accomplish since his first day in office — sabotage our work, my work, as Attorney General of Texas."
Watch Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) interview Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) Friday ahead of an impeachment hearing in the Texas House scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
\u201cTexas Attorney General @KenPaxtonTX Sounds the Alarm on @NEWSMAX \ud83d\udea8\n\n@MattGaetz: \u201cAre you confident that you have the votes to block an impeachment by the Texas State House?\u201d \n\n@TXAG Ken Paxton: \u201cNo. They thought I was going to lose my election to Bush, and they became very\u2026\u201d— Joel Valdez (@Joel Valdez) 1685158984
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Social worker charged with 134 counts of voter fraud in Texas for allegedly registering ineligible voters
A social worker has been charged with 134 counts of voter fraud after investigators found that she allegedly submitted voter registration applications for residents who were ineligible to vote.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said that his office's Election Fraud Unit investigated the charges against Kelly Reagan Brunner, a social worker at the Mexia State Supported Living Center.
Paxton said in a statement that Brunner submitted voter registration applications for 67 residents of the State Supported Living Center. But because the people being cared for in the facility have intellectual and developmental disabilities, they were unable to give consent for the voter registration.
"Under Texas law, only a parent, spouse or child who is a qualified voter of the county may act as an agent in registering a person to vote, after being appointed to do so by that person," explained Paxton.
"None of the SSLC patients gave effective consent to be registered, and a number of them have been declared totally mentally incapacitated by a court, thereby making them ineligible to vote in Texas," he added.
Brunner faces 10 years in prison if convicted for the charges.
"I strongly commend the Limestone County District Attorney's Office, Sheriff's Office, and Elections Office, as well as the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General for their outstanding work on this case and their commitment to ensuring a free and fair Presidential election in the face of unprecedented voter fraud," Paxton continued.
"Registering citizens to vote or to obtain mail ballots without their consent is illegal. It is particularly offensive when individuals purport to be champions for disability rights, when in reality they are abusing our most vulnerable citizens in order to gain access to their ballots and amplify their own political voice," he added.
"My office is prepared to assist any Texas county in combating this insidious form of fraud," he concluded.
Here's more about the charges of voter fraud:
Limestone County Texas social worker Kelly Reagan Brunner charged with 134counts of election fraudwww.youtube.com
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