Texas AG Ken Paxton has fired or put on leave 4 of 7 whistleblowers accusing him of bribery

[USincognito]

Wow. I did not see this coming.

Here's some reporting from Austin's Texas Tribune.

Texas AG Ken Paxton impeached, suspended from duties; will face Senate trial

The House voted 121-23 to suspend the attorney general and refer him to the Senate for trial on charges of bribery, abuse of office and obstruction. It was the first such impeachment since 1975.

www.texastribune.org

 

[essentialsaltes]

Paxton has uncovered a huge conspiracy witch hunt sham against him.

 

[rambot]

Paxton has uncovered a huge conspiracy witch hunt sham against him.


View attachment 331661

I find it astounding the ease with which some people lie.

 

[Say it aint so]

My favorite Ken Paxton story. Keep in mind this is the state of Texas Attorney General actions when being served a subpoena.​

​

When Herrera arrived at Paxton’s home in McKinney on Monday morning, he told a woman who identified herself as Angela that he was trying to deliver legal documents to the attorney general. She told him that Paxton was on the phone and unable to come to the door. Herrera said he would wait.​

Nearly an hour later, a black Chevrolet Tahoe pulled into the driveway, and 20 minutes after that, Ken Paxton exited the house.​

​

“I walked up the driveway approaching Mr. Paxton and called him by his name. As soon as he saw me and heard me call his name out, he turned around and RAN back inside the house through the same door in the garage,” Herrera wrote in the sworn affidavit.​

​

Angela Paxton then exited the house, got inside a Chevrolet truck in the driveway, started it and opened the doors.​

​

“A few minutes later I saw Mr. Paxton RAN from the door inside the garage towards the rear door behind the driver side,” Herrera wrote. “I approached the truck, and loudly called him by his name and stated that I had court documents for him. Mr. Paxton ignored me and kept heading for the truck.”​

​

Herrera eventually placed the subpoena on the ground near the truck and told him he was serving him with a subpoena. Both cars drove away, leaving the documents on the ground.​

Texas Tribune

 

[USincognito]

My favorite Ken Paxton story. Keep in mind this is the state of Texas Attorney General actions when being served a subpoena.​

​

When Herrera arrived at Paxton’s home in McKinney on Monday morning, he told a woman who identified herself as Angela that he was trying to deliver legal documents to the attorney general. She told him that Paxton was on the phone and unable to come to the door. Herrera said he would wait.​

Nearly an hour later, a black Chevrolet Tahoe pulled into the driveway, and 20 minutes after that, Ken Paxton exited the house.​

​

“I walked up the driveway approaching Mr. Paxton and called him by his name. As soon as he saw me and heard me call his name out, he turned around and RAN back inside the house through the same door in the garage,” Herrera wrote in the sworn affidavit.​

​

Angela Paxton then exited the house, got inside a Chevrolet truck in the driveway, started it and opened the doors.​

​

“A few minutes later I saw Mr. Paxton RAN from the door inside the garage towards the rear door behind the driver side,” Herrera wrote. “I approached the truck, and loudly called him by his name and stated that I had court documents for him. Mr. Paxton ignored me and kept heading for the truck.”​

​

Herrera eventually placed the subpoena on the ground near the truck and told him he was serving him with a subpoena. Both cars drove away, leaving the documents on the ground.​

Texas Tribune

Truly a profile in courage.

 

[essentialsaltes]

State House ethics panel says Texas AG broke state laws, ethics rules​

Investigators said Paxton pressured the open records division in his office to help a donor and friend, Nate Paul,

Nate Paul, close associate of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, faces eight felony counts​

The 23-page federal indictment accuses Paul of making false statements to mortgage lenders and credit unions to secure business loans. The court filing indicates the alleged financial crimes occurred in 2017 and 2018.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Texas Republicans divide over impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton​

Days after voting to impeach fellow Republican and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, state Rep. Terry Wilson headed to a Williamson County GOP meeting in his politically divided suburban Austin district. Wilson expected the worst.

Former president Donald Trump had condemned the impeachment vote. So had the state GOP chair, who faulted Wilson and the other 59 Republicans who joined Democrats voting for impeachment as colluding with the enemy in their war on the party.

Wilson’s office had fielded more than 300 angry calls plus emails and social media posts that decried his vote. The leader of a local retirement community’s Republican club called to disinvite him from an event. During a Memorial Day veterans’ service, a Paxton supporter got up in his face, shouting.

Julie McCarty, CEO of the hard right True Texas Project, which has recommended Wilson in the past, has encouraged primary candidates to run against Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton.

Before the meeting ended, pro-Paxton precinct chairs forced a vote on condemning the impeachment investigation. It passed, 44 to 17. With that, Williamson joined what are now 10 county Republican groups and the state GOP in openly challenging the impeachment.


Fascinating seeing this tribalism among the torches and pitchfork crowd. 'Drain the Swamp!' they cry. But when one of their own is a swamp creature, the cry is "No accountability! Burn the witchfinders!"

 

[essentialsaltes]

Paxton's wife is a state senator; she won't vote, but will have to be present for the impeachment trial over his abuse of power and alleged affair ​

(awkward)

 

[essentialsaltes]

Ken Paxton’s team said there was no evidence to support impeachment. The House published nearly 4,000 pages.​

The Senate, which is conducting the trial, published the exhibits Thursday night. House impeachment managers say Paxton abused his office to help friend and political donor Nate Paul.

[Exhibits] include:

• An interview with Paxton’s former personal aide who said he ferried documents to Paul on Paxton’s behalf and witnessed conversations about the renovations to Paxton’s home that suggested Paul had paid for it.
• Emails showing how Paul and his lawyer directed a special prosecutor authorized by Paxton to investigate Paul’s business rivals and law enforcement officials that had raided his home.
• Trip records obtained from Uber showing an account Paul created under the alias “Dave P,” which Paxton used to travel to the home of Paul and the apartment of the woman with whom the attorney general was allegedly having an extramarital affair. Paxton is married to state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney.
• An employment contract proving Paul had hired Paxton’s alleged girlfriend to work at his business.
• Interviews with former Travis County prosecutors who said Paxton asked them to investigate Paul’s claims or refer them to his office, despite their advice that he let Paul’s criminal case conclude before getting involved.

 

[Pommer]

Ken Paxton’s team said there was no evidence to support impeachment. The House published nearly 4,000 pages.​

The Senate, which is conducting the trial, published the exhibits Thursday night. House impeachment managers say Paxton abused his office to help friend and political donor Nate Paul.

[Exhibits] include:

• An interview with Paxton’s former personal aide who said he ferried documents to Paul on Paxton’s behalf and witnessed conversations about the renovations to Paxton’s home that suggested Paul had paid for it.
• Emails showing how Paul and his lawyer directed a special prosecutor authorized by Paxton to investigate Paul’s business rivals and law enforcement officials that had raided his home.
• Trip records obtained from Uber showing an account Paul created under the alias “Dave P,” which Paxton used to travel to the home of Paul and the apartment of the woman with whom the attorney general was allegedly having an extramarital affair. Paxton is married to state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney.
• An employment contract proving Paul had hired Paxton’s alleged girlfriend to work at his business.
• Interviews with former Travis County prosecutors who said Paxton asked them to investigate Paul’s claims or refer them to his office, despite their advice that he let Paul’s criminal case conclude before getting involved.

Yeah but if you take away these mere 4k pages of evidence, what kinda case do they really have?

/s

 

[iluvatar5150]

Yeah but if you take away these mere 4k pages of evidence, what kinda case do they really have?

/s

It’s not a big leap to that from conservatives whining that their guy would’ve won were it not for ultra-populous places like CA or NY.

 

[Truth7t7]

Lawsuit: Texas AG Ken Paxton swapped political favors for home remodel, job for alleged ‘mistress’
The new allegations offer up the most detailed theory to date about why Paxton helped Austin real estate developer Nate Paul even as his top aides balked at his behavior.

Four former high ranking agency officials are accusing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of swapping political favors for a donor’s help with a home remodel and a job for his alleged “mistress.”

The new, more detailed allegations, first reported by The Texas Tribune, were laid out in an updated court filing in a whistleblower lawsuit the former employees filed against Paxton in November. The lawsuit accuses Paxton of repeatedly abusing his position as the state’s top lawyer to help Nate Paul, an Austin real estate developer and campaign donor.

The News reported last year that Paxton personally intervened at least four times on a range of legal matters at his agency that involved or helped Paul since March 2020. Several senior officials objected to Paxton’s actions last fall, reporting him to law enforcement for alleged abuse of office and bribery.

The FBI is now investigating these claims, according to The Associated Press.

Sounds like Joe and Hunter Biden and their pay to play fiasco with China and Ukraines Burisma

 

[Pommer]

Sounds like Joe and Hunter Biden and their pay to play fiasco with China and Ukraines Burisma

Thread: “Republican Attorney General Misdeeds”
TheSpin™️: But the Bidens!

Seriously?

 

[essentialsaltes]

Paxton acquitted on 16 impeachment charges. Looks like 2 Republicans voted to impeach on at least some charges. But with the GOP tilt of the state, that means impeachment votes never got a majority, much less the 2/3 needed.

[His state senator wife (who could not vote)] attended all two weeks of the trial, including the reading of the verdict, when all but two of her fellow 18 Republican senators consistently voted to acquit her husband on 16 impeachment articles that accused him of misconduct, bribery and corruption.

Now on to the criminal trials!

 

[USincognito]

So proud of my state.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Paxton acquitted on 16 impeachment charges.
...
Now on to the criminal trials!

But first the stay has to be lifted!

Several Paxton whistleblowers vowing 'not to go away'​

Whistleblowers Blake Brickman and Mark Penley, both self-described conservative Republicans, spoke on the same day that their attorneys filed a motion with the Texas Supreme Court seeking to lift the stay on their case and have it sent back to Travis County District Court. A third whistleblower, Ryan Vassar, was also there during the press conference.

“The political trial is over,” Brickman said. “It’s time for the case to return to a real court.”

The internal feud in the Republican Party has only escalated in the ensuing days [following the impeachment].

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presided over the trial, blasted House Speaker Dade Phelan and the House of Representatives for what he says was a weak and rushed impeachment case.

In fact, within moments of the verdict, Patrick read a prepared statement in which he attacked the House for impeaching Paxton.

Meanwhile, Phelan has accused Patrick of rigging the trial.

Brickman blasted Patrick for accepting a multi-million donation from Paxton supporters on the eve of trial, and for the “shocking” prepared remarks he gave shortly after the verdict attacking the House.

 

[essentialsaltes]

The internal feud in the Republican Party has only escalated in the ensuing days [following the impeachment].
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presided over the trial, blasted House Speaker Dade Phelan and the House of Representatives for what he says was a weak and rushed impeachment case.
Meanwhile, Phelan has accused Patrick of rigging the trial.
Brickman blasted Patrick for accepting a multi-million donation from Paxton supporters on the eve of trial, and for the “shocking” prepared remarks he gave shortly after the verdict attacking the House.

Texas Republicans’ internecine fights overshadow special session​

A civil war is raging among Texas Republicans. And as lawmakers return to Austin this week to address “school choice” vouchers and border security, that infighting threatens to consume what will be the third special session of the year.

“This is very akin to what is going on at the federal level right now [the removal of Speaker McCarthy],” said Brendan Steinhauser, a Republican strategist based in Austin. “You have leadership of the Republican Party … trying to fend off challenges from the grassroots, certainly populist wing of the party.”

The state is run largely by the “Big Three” gatekeepers: Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, and House Speaker Dade Phelan.

[They've been sniping at each other over many issues, but the impeachment trial has poured gas on the flames]

Phelan’s opponents have branded him a RINO ... Patrick ... lashed out at the speaker as it ended, calling the proceedings a waste of taxpayer money and ordering an audit of their cost to the state. ... House impeachment managers [are] “still trying to wipe the egg off their face” and castigated them anew for “shoddy work” and other “colossal” missteps from start to finish. The attorney general has gone further ... alleging, based on live-stream footage from the House floor of Phelan slurring his words, that he presided while inebriated. Paxton’s backers have dubbed him “Drunk Dade.” ... the speaker blasted Patrick for “confessing his bias and placing his contempt for the people’s House on full display.”

The governor campaigned last year on school vouchers and has vowed to keep calling special sessions until lawmakers pass a bill allowing parents to use taxpayer dollars to send their children to private schools.

The issue has long divided the Texas House, however, and Paxton’s impeachment only aggravated those divisions.

[see also: Inside the rural Texas resistance to the GOP’s private school choice plan]

[Phelan's] tenure as House speaker could be determined as soon as Monday. The party’s right flank has vowed to unseat him, saying he is a Democratic sympathizer [them's fightin' words!]

The political action committee Defend Texas Liberty is already looking ahead to next March’s primary and recruiting candidates to run against House Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton, Steinhauser said. “They’re going to put real money into that effort. They’re branding Dade a certain way: ‘California Drunk Dade,’ a liberal out to get conservatives.”

 

[essentialsaltes]

Conservative PAC leader’s meeting with white supremacist Nick Fuentes leads to condemnations, escalates GOP infighting​

House Speaker Dade Phelan strongly condemned the leader of a major conservative PAC and demanded that elected officials — including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — return money they received from the group, one day after The Texas Tribune reported that it had recently hosted well-known white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Fuentes is an avowed admirer of Adolf Hitler, has called for “holy war” against Jews and said that "all I want is revenge against my enemies and a total Aryan victory.”

"This (is) not just a casual misstep,” Phelan said in a statement. “It’s indicative of the moral, political rot that has been festering in a certain segment of our party for far too long. Anti-Semitism, bigotry and Hitler apologists should find no sanctuary in the Republican party. Period. We cannot – and must not – tolerate the tacit endorsement of such vile ideologies.”

Shortly after, Patrick denounced Fuentes and anti-semitism, but accused Phelan — whose statement noted Hamas' attack on Israel on Saturday — of exploiting the war for “his own political gain.” He called on Phelan to resign as speaker before 1 p.m. on Monday

Defend Texas Liberty is funded by two West Texas oil billionaires — Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks — who are also Attorney General Ken Paxton’s biggest donors. Earlier this year, the group made headlines after it gave $3 million in loans and donations to Patrick ahead of Paxton’s impeachment trial in the Texas Senate, over which Patrick presided.

Despite his open adoration for Hitler and his violent rhetoric, Fuentes has not been entirely cast out of right-wing circles. Hard-right Republicans, including U.S. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona, have spoken at Fuentes’ annual conference alongside avowed white supremacists.

Fuentes’ acolytes have also been employed in powerful positions in the GOP. In July, the presidential campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fired a staffer after it was revealed that he created and then shared a pro-DeSantis video that featured a Nazi sonnenrad. And, earlier this year, Ella Maulding moved from Mississippi to Fort Worth to work as a social media coordinator for Pale Horse Strategies. [Pale Horse Strategies is #1 where the meeting physically took place and #2 the consulting group run by the guy who also runs the PAC in question.]

 

[essentialsaltes]

Ken Paxton to file criminal doxing complaints against 12 House impeachment managers​

 

[essentialsaltes]

Conservative PAC leader’s meeting with white supremacist Nick Fuentes leads to condemnations, escalates GOP infighting​

House Speaker Dade Phelan strongly condemned the leader of a major conservative PAC and demanded that elected officials — including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — return money they received from the group, one day after The Texas Tribune reported that it had recently hosted well-known white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Fuentes is an avowed admirer of Adolf Hitler, has called for “holy war” against Jews and said that "all I want is revenge against my enemies and a total Aryan victory.”

The Texas GOP is at war with itself. The outcome could signal the national party’s future.​

After a meeting between a white supremacist and influential conservative operatives, a long-simmering fight within the Texas GOP has exploded into open warfare.

The Texas GOP’s civil war has been building for years, inflamed in part by an expansive network of ultra-conservative activist groups bankrolled by a trio of West Texas billionaires on a mission to push the deep-red state even further to the right.

After The Texas Tribune reported this month that some of the leaders of that influential far-right network met for hours with the white supremacist provocateur Nick Fuentes — who has praised Adolf Hitler and called for a “holy war” against Jews — the intraparty tension reached a breaking point.

This week, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, a staunch conservative who’s nonetheless a target of far-right attacks, called on the state GOP to cut ties with any groups and individuals who have embraced white nationalist figures or rhetoric.

Under pressure from [billionaire] Wilks- and Dunn-funded groups, Republicans in the Texas Senate voted to acquit Paxton on the impeachment charges last month, further inflaming tensions within the party. Afterward, Jonathan Stickland, the leader of Defend Texas Liberty, vowed to pour the PAC’s money into unseating Phelan and every other Republican who supported Paxton’s impeachment.

[Defend Texas Liberty has disavowed Fuentes.] But a review of social media posts and recorded comments by officials in the Defend Texas Liberty orbit reveals a deeper embrace of white nationalist rhetoric and ideas.

In a video posted this summer to Texans for Strong Borders’ TikTok account, Ella Maulding — an online influencer who has publicly praised Fuentes as “the greatest civil rights leader in history” — rejected the idea of America as a melting pot, arguing it was founded as “a sovereign Christian nation” meant to serve “a people of distinct culture, history and identity.”

“They finally got caught,” Phelan said. “They finally got exposed for who they are, and I think a lot of Republicans across Texas are finally opening their eyes.”