The Fall of Ken Paxton: Texas's Republican Attorney General Faces Impeachment

In an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking, a Republican-led investigation on Wednesday accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of committing multiple crimes while in office, including felonies. This put one of the GOP's leading conservative figures at new political and legal risk.

Investigators presented their conclusions for more than three hours, claiming Paxton tried to conceal an affair, used his position improperly to assist a donor, skirted policy "grossly outside" of norms, and fostered a climate of fear and retribution in his workplace. The GOP-led House General Investigating Committee was informed by the investigators that there was proof Paxton had broken the law frequently over the years, including by misusing government information, abusing his position, and retaliating.

Despite a felony indictment in 2015 and an ongoing FBI investigation, the dramatic turn of events at the Texas Capitol released a fresh test of Paxton's toughness that he has not before faced. The probe by the House committee has been ongoing covertly for months, and it was just made public on Tuesday.

After the hearing on Wednesday, the committee adjourned without taking any action. Republican state representative Andrew Murr, who chairs the panel, chose not to speak about subsequent events or the likelihood of recommending Paxton be impeached or censured subsequently.

Read "The Fall of Ken Paxton: Texas's Republican Attorney General Faces Impeachment" by Gregory D. Richardson to learn more.