Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Monday that he is appointing a new interim attorney general.
Angela Colmenero will replace John Scott as the top law enforcement officer in Texas while the elected attorney general — Ken Paxton — remains suspended pending his impeachment trial in the Senate.
In a statement provided to The Dallas Express, Gov. Abbott said, “John Scott faithfully executed his duties as the interim Attorney General of Texas, and I thank him for his leadership in stepping up to serve his fellow Texans in this role.”
“Today, under authorities granted by the Texas Constitution, I appoint Angela Colmenero to serve as interim Attorney General of Texas,” Abbott said. “In addition to her time in the Office of the Governor, Angela served under me in the Texas Attorney General’s Office and has firsthand experience on how the agency operates.”
“Angela’s record of experience in state government and expertise in litigation will help her oversee the Texas Attorney General’s Office and serve as our state’s top law enforcement officer as the Texas Senate conducts impeachment proceedings,” the governor continued.
The appointment will take effect on Friday, July 14, at 10 a.m.
Colmenero has served in the governor’s office since 2018, acting first as Abbott’s deputy general counsel prior to becoming the principal deputy general counsel in 2021. Most recently, she acted as Abbott’s deputy chief of staff.
Prior to her time with Abbott, she had worked within the Office of the Attorney General in a variety of positions.
John Scott, in a statement sent to The Dallas Express, explained, “The honor of serving as the provisional Attorney General of Texas was always with an understanding that my duration would be limited in time. Governor Abbott honored my request which allows me to return to working as a consultant, attorney and board member for a broad variety of companies.”
“The women and men of the Office of the Attorney General are exceptional as are their daily efforts in representing all Texans. Working beside them these past weeks was an opportunity to again serve in an organization that was for me, the very best professional experience of my life,” he concluded.
Abbott had to appoint an interim attorney general following the impeachment of Ken Paxton by the Texas House, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Paxton’s trial will start on September 5 at 9 a.m., according to the rules package recently passed by the Texas Senate.
The impeachment of Paxton has been met with resistance from the state Republican Party apparatus, with several North Texas counties denouncing the House over how it handled the impeachment process, as The Dallas Express covered.