Texas’ Republican-led House voted Saturday to impeach the state’s Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, finally moving to show him the door after a long series of scandals and possible crimes.
Lawmakers introduced 20 articles of impeachment against the three-term attorney general, whose antics have roiled the Texas GOP.
The affirmative 121-23 vote means Paxton will be suspended as the state’s top law enforcement officer pending the outcome of a trial in the Texas Senate, with Gov. Greg Abbott (R) given the option of appointing an interim attorney general. The timing of a trial is uncertain, however, given that the current Texas legislative session ends Monday.
Paxton is the first person impeached in the state of Texas in nearly half a century.
A Republican-led investigatory committee earlier this week spelled out the various ways Paxton is accused of abusing the power of his office through bribery, retaliation and a culture of fear.