Sen. Angela Paxton issued a statement Monday after her husband, Attorney General Ken Paxton, was acquitted on all the articles of impeachment reviewed by the Senate.
As reported by The Dallas Express, a majority of the Texas Senate found that the House Board of Managers failed to meet its burden of proof in the impeachment trial, rejecting the allegations made by the lower chamber.
Furthermore, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick slammed the House leadership for wasting untold sums of taxpayer money by sending the articles to the Senate in a rushed manner without securing sworn testimony from witnesses.
Sen. Paxton (R-McKinney) also issued a statement following the historic vote, outlining her agreement with the Senate’s decision despite not being able to vote in the trial.
“This was a monumental moment in Texas history, for me as a senator and of course personally as well,” she explained. “I am incredibly grateful for the outpouring of personal support and encouragement that I have received over the past 5 months.”
“I wholeheartedly affirm the Senate’s decision to acquit,” she said. “Although prohibited from voting on the articles of impeachment, I was present as a member of the court for the entire trial, and I listened carefully to every word of testimony on behalf of my constituents.”
In the trial rules adopted by the Senate, Sen. Paxton was prohibited from voting but was allowed to remain on the floor during the proceedings, which meant that the two-thirds threshold for conviction remained at 21 votes instead of dropping to 20.
“Had I been allowed to vote, I would have cast my vote with those who acquitted on each and every article, and also with the six senators who voted affirmatively on the motions to dismiss presented at the beginning of the proceedings,” she said.
Turning her attention to the House of Representatives, Sen. Paxton added, “I strongly support the Lieutenant Governor’s recommendations directed at legislatively and constitutionally addressing requirements for any future impeachment proceedings to ensure that due process and taxpayer dollars are protected against political weaponization.”
“Finally, I am ready to get back to the important work of representing you, my constituents, in the upcoming special session,” she concluded. “I’m looking forward to defending critical parental rights, protections, and educational opportunities for all Texas children.”
Her comments, in many ways, highlighted similar themes Attorney General Paxton emphasized in his statement following the acquittal, as covered by The Dallas Express.
The main proponent of the impeachment, House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont), has defended his decision to pursue impeachment and denounced the Senate for acquitting Paxton.
However, conservative leaders in Texas and across the country, including former President Donald Trump, have called for Phelan to resign from his position following the acquittal.