A group of Texas Representatives have called on Speaker Dade Phelan to disclose how much taxpayer money was spent on the investigation, impeachment, and failed prosecution of Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Reps. Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington), Steve Toth (R-Woodlands), and Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth) sent the letter to Phelan on Friday, only days before the start of the next special session.
The group requested “complete transparency in regards to the costs paid by Texas taxpayers associated with the baseless impeachment investigation and prosecution of Attorney General Ken Paxton.”
Denouncing the efforts of the House Board of Managers, the three lawmakers recalled how, during the trial, “the public heard witness after witness testify that no physical evidence of criminal wrongdoing existed at any time and that these witnesses had made allegations of wrongdoing against the Attorney General to the Federal Bureau of Investigation based solely on suspicion and conjecture.”
“The House General Investigating Committee seemingly took these allegations at face value, and failed to place these witnesses under oath or to require any actual evidence of wrongdoing before bringing articles of impeachment against a duly elected Attorney General,” they continued.
“In light of the claim that the House’s investigation into Attorney General Paxton was made over a sum of close to $3 million, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick called for an audit into the cost of this investigation and prosecution,” the letter added. “We agree with the Lieutenant Governor and a recent statement made by Representative Brian Harrison that taxpayers deserve transparency in this matter.”
As reported by The Dallas Express, Lt. Gov. Patrick called for an audit in a speech given immediately after the Senate voted to acquit Paxton. Similarly, Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) became the first House member to request one that same day.
Rep. Toth, one of the signatories on the new letter to Phelan, added, “Time to pony up. How much did this House debacle cost Texas taxpayers?”
Similarly, Rep. Harrison responded to the letter, saying, “Texans must know how much of their money the [Texas] House WASTED on their staggeringly incompetent impeachment of [Ken Paxton].”
For his part, Speaker Phelan has continued to defend the impeachment effort against Paxton, claiming that the Senate trial was rigged against the House.
“[T]he evidence against Paxton presented to our chamber after a months-long investigation into allegations involving bribery, deceit and other types of disturbing misconduct, was more than damning, and our chamber overwhelmingly agreed that a further examination of the facts was merited,” he said, as reported by The Dallas Express.
“Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who led us to believe he would preside over this trial in a fair and just manner, took a whopping $3 million donation from a Political Action Committee pushing for Paxton’s exoneration before the trial even began. … The fix was in from the start,” Phelan alleged.