The Dallas County Republican Party has joined other North Texas GOP organizations in condemning the process of impeaching Attorney General Ken Paxton.
In a meeting on July 10, the organization unanimously passed a resolution targeting the way the Texas House pursued the impeachment of the thrice popularly elected AG.
The Dallas GOP resolution highlighted that the General Investigating Committee, led by Rep. Andrew Murr (R-Junction), submitted a package that “consisted solely of a transcript of the GIC hearing, was considered by the House for approximately 48 hours before the impeachment vote was called and taken, no testimony was taken in the House, and General Paxton was not allowed to speak to the House or offer any rebuttal evidence or testimony.”
Therefore, the local party concluded, “The impeachment of General Paxton failed to comply with applicable law and historical precedent.”
Specifically, “The General Investigating Committee admitted that none of the witnesses who provided information to the committee were placed under oath before giving their statements as required by Texas Government Code §301.022.”
That section of the code stipulates, “All legislative committees shall require witnesses to give testimony under oath, subject to the penalties of perjury.” In addition, the statute adds that any type of committee may waive the oath requirement “except a general investigating committee.”
Additionally, the Dallas GOP determined, “The General Investigating Committee included in their consideration, and included in the articles of impeachment alleged conduct that took place before the date when General Paxton was elected and took office in his current term.”
They argued that “such conduct may not serve to support removal of a state officer in accordance with Texas Government Code § 665.081, and thus should not have been part of the impeachment process in accordance with Texas Supreme Court precedent found in Reeves v. State, 267 S.W. 666 (Tex. 1924).”
Lastly, the Dallas GOP condemned the House for how it “failed to give General Paxton notice of the GIC hearing, did not allow General Paxton or his office to appear, did not afford General Paxton the opportunity to present evidence in his defense, including the right to cross-examine witnesses against him.”
Therefore, they concluded, “The Dallas County Republican Party condemns the process by which the Texas House of Representatives impeached General Paxton as unprecedented and an offense to Due Process and the Rule of Law.”
The resolution continued, imploring “Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and members of the Texas Senate to uphold Due Process, fairness, precedent, and the Rule of Law by immediately returning the impeachment articles to the House of Representatives and conduct no further proceedings in the Texas Senate unless and until the House of Representatives fully satisfies due process, complies with applicable Texas law, and adheres to precedent regarding the Constitutional and statutory impeachment process.”
AG Paxton responded to the resolution by tweeting, “Thank you, [Dallas GOP].”
The vote makes the Dallas GOP the most recent North Texas Republican organization to take aim at the House for its impeachment of Paxton, The Dallas Express reported.
Rep. Murr, the leader of the impeachment managers, has pushed back against the grassroots resistance to the targeting of Paxton, claiming they “focus entirely on the process used for impeachment in the House.”
“Curiously, they do not suggest that the House got any of the facts wrong,” he continued, adding that the “House’s actions on this matter in recent months have been squarely within the bounds of the Texas Constitution, state law and the House’s own rules or procedure.”
Regarding the claim that Texas law forbids an official from being impeached for actions taken during a previous term in office, Murr said, “the last two officials to face impeachment (in 1917 and 1975) were convicted for misconduct that occurred during prior terms.”
“While we knew that some of our fellow Republicans would chafe at the attorney general’s impeachment, I cannot wrap my mind around those, such as the leaders of the party in Collin County, who suggest that the Senate should hold no trial at all,” he continued.
“For many of us who represent solidly conservative areas, the safest political choice might have been turning our gaze away from Paxton’s corruption,” Murr concluded. “Fortunately, I serve in the Texas House with men and women who put principle above politics.”
Jennifer Stoddard Hajdu, the chairwoman of the Dallas County Republican Party, explained to The Dallas Express, “The Dallas GOP Executive Committee carefully studied and debated this Resolution and unanimously agreed to condemn the impeachment process.”
“A matter as important and punitive as impeachment should not be used lightly. And when it is used, we must insist on transparency and due process,” she added.