Ken Paxton’s prosecutors stumbled at times. But did it matter in the GOP-dominated Senate?
The House impeachment managers faced a high bar: convincing enough Republican senators to vote against their own political self-interest. Full Story
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Zach Despart is a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune. He investigates power — who wields it, how and to what ends — through the lens of Texas government. He has extensively covered the Uvalde school shooting, including a groundbreaking investigation on the role the gunman’s rifle played in the disastrous police response. He previously covered Harris County for the Houston Chronicle, where he reported on corruption, elections, disaster preparedness and the region’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey. An upstate New York native, he received his bachelor’s degree in political science and film from the University of Vermont.
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![House impeachment manager Rep. David Spiller, R-Jacksboro, center, listens as votes are votes cast during Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial on Sept. 16, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton acquitted on all 16 articles of impeachment
Only two of 19 Republican Senators voted in favor of convicting for any article — a stark contrast to the more than 70% of House Republicans who impeached the attorney general in May. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, center, sits between defense attorneys Tony Buzbee, left, and Mitch Little, right, before starting the ninth day of his impeachment trial in the Senate chamber at the Texas Capitol on Sept. 15, 2023.]()
Credit: Sam Owens/Pool via San Antonio Express-News -
Paxton defense calls charges “foolishness,” House argues AG “betrayed us” in closing impeachment arguments
Senators begin deliberating in private after defense lawyers and impeachment managers make impassioned pleas after two weeks of trial. Full Story
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![Senators are led onto the Senate Floor at the beginning of the ninth day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial at the state capitol in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 15, 2023.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
Paxton trial updates, Sept. 15: Senators leave Capitol without an impeachment verdict
Deliberations are expected to resume at 9 a.m. Saturday. Paxton is accused of misusing his office to help a friend and donor who was under federal investigation. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, left, talks with his defense attorney Tony Buzbee before starting the ninth day of his impeachment trial in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Austin, Texas.]()
Credit: Sam Owens/Pool via San Antonio Express-News -
Paxton trial updates, Sept. 14: AG supervisor refutes whistleblower claims
Watch a livestream of the attorney general’s impeachment trial and get the latest updates as senators weigh his political future. Full Story
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![Tony Buzbee, a lead defense attorney, listens in as Grant Dorfman, Deputy First Assistant Attorney General at the Texas Office of the Attorney General, answers questions from defense attorney TKTK on the Senate floor during suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s trial on Sept. 14, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
The House has rested its case against Ken Paxton after a chaotic day for the prosecution
The House prosecutors failed to call a star witness and battled with the defense attorneys over allegations the suspended attorney general had been bribed by Nate Paul. Full Story
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![Prosecuting attorney Rusty Hardin sits at the prosecutor’s table after resting the House's case during the seventh day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial on Sept. 13, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Paxton trial, Sept. 13: Woman in alleged affair with Paxton planned to plead the Fifth, doesn’t testify
Watch a livestream of the attorney general’s impeachment trial and get the latest updates as senators weigh his political future. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks to both parties moments after House prosecuting attorney Rusty Hardin rested the House's case during the seventh day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial on Sept. 13, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Paxton trial, Sept. 7: During new testimony, former AG deputy tears up responding to “rogue” allegations
Former attorney general officials testified that Ken Paxton pushed to release confidential FBI records to friend and donor Nate Paul. They also denied defense attorneys’ assertions that they staged a “mutiny.” Full Story
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![Whistleblower Ryan Vassar tears up during testimony on the third day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial in the Texas Senate on Sept. 7, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton’s top deputy, the first impeachment witness, describes an attorney general out of control
Jeff Mateer testified that Paxton was so intent on helping Austin real estate investor Nate Paul that he worried the attorney general was being blackmailed. Full Story
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![Whistleblower Jeff Mateer give impassioned testimony about his former boss Ken Paxton in the morning session of Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial in the Texas Senate on September 6, 2023. (Bob Daemmrich/Pool for the Texas Tribune)]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate rejects all motions to dismiss Ken Paxton impeachment charges
The pretrial motions required a majority vote. All but one were rejected by two-thirds of the Senate, suggesting an openness in the chamber to hear the allegations against Paxton. Full Story
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![Senators file into the Senate floor at the beginning of the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton on Sept. 5, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune