After deliberating overnight, the Texas Senate reconvened on Saturday to decide the political fate of Attorney General Ken Paxton, acquitting him on most charges and dismissing the remainder.
For the past two weeks, the Senate sat as a court of impeachment for the trial of the embattled AG as the House Board of Managers laid out its case. Out of the 20 articles submitted by the House, the Senate voted on 16, as four articles were held in abeyance.
To convict Paxton, 21 senators had to agree that the House proved all the elements of the article beyond a reasonable doubt. To acquit the thrice-elected AG, only 10 senators needed to think the House failed to meet its burden of proof.
Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney) was not permitted to vote on any of the articles as she is the AG’s wife.
The vast majority of Republicans voted to acquit Paxton on all charges, while two members of the GOP caucus, Sens. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) and Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville), sided with the Democrats on the majority of the articles.
Article 1 accused Paxton of wrongfully pressuring the Office of the Attorney General to intervene in a lawsuit between the Mitte Foundation and Nate Paul — the Austin businessman and one-time Paxton donor at the center of many of the allegations lodged against Paxton.
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills), Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville), Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio), Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas), Morgan LaMantia (D-South Padre Island), Borris Miles (D-Houston), Royce West (D-Dallas), John Whitmire (D-Houston), Juan Hinojosa (D-McAllen), Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo), Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin), José Menéndez (D-San Antonio), Carol Alvarado (D-Houston), and César Blanco (D-El Paso).
To acquit: Sens. Drew Springer (R-Muenster), Charles Schwertner (R- Georgetown), Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), Joan Huffman (R-Houston), Phil King (R-Weatherford), Kevin Sparks (R-Midland), Pete Flores (R-Pleasanton), Bob Hall (R-Rockwall), Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury), Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston), Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels), and Charles Perry (R-Lubbock).
Article 2 accused Paxton of wrongfully ordering the issuance of legal guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic that could have prevented foreclosure sales from proceeding in an attempt to benefit Paul, who had several properties about to be auctioned off.
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Article 3 alleged that Paxton abused the open records process by issuing a wrong opinion on a request by Paul, who was attempting to obtain records related to law enforcement raids at his properties.
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Article 4 claimed Paxton made a copy of documents Paul was trying to obtain and illegally provided them to Paul.
The final vote was two in favor of sustaining the article and 28 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Gutierrez (D) and Miles (D).
To acquit: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), Perry (R), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
Article 5 alleged that Paxton violated the law by hiring Brandon Cammack as outside counsel for the OAG to investigate claims by Paul of misconduct by the state and federal law enforcement officials who ordered and executed the raids on his properties.
The final vote was 13 in favor of sustaining the article and 17 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Nichols (R), Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Article 6 said that Paxton unlawfully fired OAG staff who reported him to the FBI on the “good faith belief” the he had acted criminally in his treatment of Nate Paul. Several of the whistleblowers were in the room, watching the vote from the gallery.
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Article 7 accused Paxton of misapplying OAG resources by having the agency conduct an internal investigation in response to the whistleblowers’ claims of misconduct. The investigation lasted several months and produced a lengthy report that claimed to clear Paxton and the OAG of wrongdoing.
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Article 8 alleged that Paxton only entered into a settlement agreement with several of the whistleblowers in order to forestall disclosure in the lawsuit and prevent the discovery of facts until after the 2022 election.
The final vote was eight in favor of sustaining the article and 22 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Nichols (R), West (D), Gutierrez (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Hancock (R), Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), Perry (R), LaMantia (D), Eckhardt (D), Miles (D), Johnson (D), and Zaffirini (D).
Article 9 claimed Nate Paul employed Laura Olsen, Paxton’s mistress, for the sole purpose of providing a benefit to Paxton in exchange for the legal assistance described in the other articles.
The final vote was 12 in favor of sustaining the article and 18 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Article 10 accused Paul of paying for home renovations in Paxton’s Austin residence in exchange for beneficial treatment.
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
As mentioned above, Articles 11, 12, 13, and 14 were held in abeyance as they related to an ongoing securities fraud case against Paxton.
Article 15 claimed that Paxton forced staffers to make false statements in the OAG report on the whistleblower allegations for the purpose of exonerating him of wrongdoing.
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Article 16, which was more of a catch-all, alleged he conspired with other people to commit the acts in the previous articles.
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Similarly, Article 17 accused him of misusing public resources by causing OAG staff to “perform services for his benefit and the benefit of others.”
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Article 18 accused General Paxton of dereliction of duty and of generally acting against the public interest.
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Article 19 claimed Paxton engaged in public or private behavior that displayed a character unfit for public office.
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Article 20 said Paxton was guilty of subverting the lawful operation of government and brought the OAG into scandal and disrepute.
The final vote was 14 in favor of sustaining the article and 16 against, resulting in an acquittal.
To convict: Sens. Hancock (R), Nichols (R), Gutierrez (D), Johnson (D), LaMantia (D), Miles (D), West (D), Whitmire (D), Hinojosa (D), Zaffirini (D), Eckhardt (D), Menéndez (D), Alvarado (D), and Blanco (D).
To acquit: Sens. Springer (R), Schwertner (R), Parker (R), Hughes (R), Huffman (R), King (R), Sparks (R), Flores (R), Hall (R), Birdwell (R), Kolkhorst (R), Bettencourt (R), Creighton (R), Middleton (R), Campbell (R), and Perry (R).
Paxton was successfully acquitted of all the articles he faced on Saturday. Furthermore, Sen. Birdwell moved to dismiss the remaining four articles. The Senate voted to dismiss the articles 19-11.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the presiding officer of the trial, addressed the Senate and made some comments for the historical record.
“I thought it was my duty to remain quiet on this issue,” Patrick explained, noting that he wanted to be as impartial as possible.
“It feels important to set the full record straight on this trial,” he said, torching the way the House approached Paxton’s impeachment and placing the blame on Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) and his allies.
“The Speaker and his team rammed through the first impeachment of a statewide-elected official in Texas in over 100 years while paying no attention to the precedent,” he said. He went on to call for constitutional reforms to prevent such an incident from happening again.
“We owe it to future legislatures to make these changes so that no future official impeached by the House, whether Republican, Democrat, or independent, is subjected to the way this impeachment process occurred,” he continued.
“Millions of taxpayers dollars have been wasted on this impeachment,” Patrick explained. “I will call for a full audit.”
“An impeachment should never happen again in the House like it happened this year,” the veteran statesman declared. “Our founders expected better.”
“May God continue to bless the greatest place that God created on earth,” he concluded.