U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar leads push to keep guns from those convicted of hate crimes
The El Paso Democrat gathered fellow lawmakers who have had hate-motivated mass shootings in their districts to back the bill. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 12, 2023, on protecting gender-affirming and reproductive health care.]()
Credit: Bryan Olin Dozier/NurPhoto via REUTERS -
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 -
Ken Paxton took a “corrupt” interest in lawsuit on Nate Paul’s behalf, whistleblower testifies
Darren McCarty said the attorney general, his former boss, approached the Mitte Foundation lawsuit with “urgency and anxiety” — and a focus on helping his friend and political donor. Full Story
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![Darren McCarty, former deputy attorney general for civil litigation under Ken Paxton, is sworn in by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during the sixth day of Paxton’s impeachment trial on Sept. 12, 2023.]()
Credit: Texas Senate Media Services -
“I did everything at his supervision”: Outside lawyer says Ken Paxton approved every step of Nate Paul investigation
Houston lawyer Brandon Cammack said he was excited to help the attorney general’s office with a criminal investigation. But after a whirlwind month, he was fired without payment and felt he’d “gotten the rug pulled out from me.” Full Story
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![Houston attorney Brandon Cammack answers questions from Rusty Hardin, a lead prosecutor for the House’s impeachment team, during the sixth day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial, on Sept. 12, 2023.]()
Credit: Texas Senate Media Services -
Texas congressional Democrats say impeaching Biden is “not comparable” to Trump impeachments
Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced his plans Tuesday to launch an impeachment inquiry, saying it was the “logical next step” after months of probing by House Republicans into the Biden family. The investigations have so far yet to turn up evidence that the president violated the law. Full Story
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![Rep. Kevin McCarthy is seen on the House floor on the first day of the 118th Congress on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. The House adjourned without a speaker voted in. (Michael A. McCoy for The Texas Tribune)]()
Credit: Michael A. McCoy for The Texas Tribune -
Texas congressional members sound off on Paxton impeachment trial
Republicans were not in agreement about whether they supported suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Full Story
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![A person walks in front of the U.S. Capitol building at dusk, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2022, in Washington, D.C.]()
Credit: Julia Nikhinson for The Texas Tribune -
T-Squared: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu will open The Texas Tribune Festival
The Granite Stater takes the stage Thursday, Sept. 21, to discuss the 2024 election, the future of the Republican Party and more. Full Story
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“You’re on the clock”: How time constraints are affecting the Paxton impeachment trial
The prosecution and the defense were each given 24 hours to present their case and cross examine witnesses. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick confers with the defense and prosecution at the start of the morning session of day three in suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial September 7, 2023 in Austin.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich/Pool for The Texas Tribune -
Paxton trial, Sept. 12: Whistleblower says he feared Paxton had “turned over” his office to donor
A Paxton whistleblower testified that the attorney general took an unusual interest in Nate Paul’s litigation against a charity in 2020. Another said Paul benefited from an opinion on foreclosures. Full Story
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![Darren McCarty, whistleblower and former Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation under Ken Paxton, testifies and answers questions from Dick DeGuerin, a lead prosecutor for the House’s impeachment team, during the sixth day of Paxton’s impeachment trial on Sept. 12, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Former chief of staff for AG’s office details alarm over Ken Paxton’s alleged affair
“My heart broke for her,” Katherine “Missy” Cary said of Sen. Angela Paxton, Ken Paxton’s wife. Angela Paxton is disqualified from voting but has to attend the trial. Full Story
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![State Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, wife of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, listens as Katherine "Missy" Minter Cary, former chief of staff under Paxton, testifies at his impeachment trial in the Texas Senate on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Paxton empathized with Nate Paul’s distrust of law enforcement because of his own indictment, whistleblower testifies
Mark Penley testified that Paxton made numerous negative comments about the Texas Department of Public Safety because of his 2015 securities fraud case. “He doesn’t trust the [DPS] director and he feels like they ran a corrupt investigation on him,” he said. Full Story
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![Whistleblower Mark Penley testifies on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. Sept. 11 marked the fifth day of Ken Paxtons impeachment trial in the Texas Senate.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
Paxton trial, Sept. 11: Whistleblower says political donor acted like he was the “real boss” of AG’s office
One whistleblower testified that Ken Paxton didn’t trust law enforcement after his own securities fraud indictment. Senators could begin deliberating the impeachment charges later this week. Full Story
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![Katherine "Missy" Cary, former chief of staff former chief of staff in the attorney general’s office, testifies at Ken Paxton's impeachment trial in the Texas Senate on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
What’s at stake in the long-awaited trial over Texas’s sweeping 2021 elections law
The GOP-backed Senate Bill 1 added voting restrictions that plaintiffs claim unfairly impacts voters of color. Full Story
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![State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, speaks in favor of Senate Bill 1 on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Carl Sherman becomes latest Democrat to target Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024
The senior pastor positioned himself as a leader who would represent all Texans in contrast to Cruz. The Democratic primary race has already drawn a congressman, a state senator and a South Texas district attorney. Full Story
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![State Rep. Carl Sherman, D-DeSoto, on the House floor on May 8, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Political warnings and accusations of misconduct: 6 main themes emerge in first week of Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial
The suspended attorney general’s lawyers focused on disloyalty and attacked evidence, while impeachment managers accused Paxton of excessive and obsessive misconduct. Neither side ignored the politics behind the case. Full Story
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![Suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, center, sits with his lawyers Tony Buzbee, left, and Dan Cogdell at the beginning of the first day of Paxton’s impeachment trial in the Texas Senate on Sept. 5, 2023.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/Pool via The Dallas Morning News -
Paxton defense presses whistleblower on what evidence he brought to FBI
On cross examination, Paxton’s defense attorney launched into whistleblower Ryan Vassar for bringing no physical evidence when he and others reported their boss to the FBI. Vassar said he was a witness and not an investigator. Full Story
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![Former deputy attorney general for legal counsel Ryan Vassar answers a question during cross examination on the fourth day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 in Austin.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Slim majority of Texans support Gov. Greg Abbott’s border buoys, poll finds
The UT poll also touched on a range of other topics, including Texas voters’ opinions on the upcoming presidential election and the U.S. Senate race. Full Story
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![A string of buoys is deployed to prevent migrants from swimming across the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass on July 13, 2023.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Paxton trial, Sept 8: AG’s former top cop says he warned Paxton about “criminal” Nate Paul
The former top cop for the attorney general’s office testified that complying with real estate investor Nate Paul’s requests would have amounted to criminal activity. Defense attorneys also questioned whistleblowers about their group texts. Full Story
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![Former Texas Ranger David Maxwell testifies as the fourth witness during the afternoon on day four of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial in the Texas Senate on Sept. 8, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Six file to run in special election to replace Rep. Bryan Slaton
The House unanimously voted in May to expel Slaton after a committee investigation found he had sex with a 19-year-old intern after getting her drunk. Full Story
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![Empty chairs on the House floor before a late-night session at the state Capitol on Oct. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune -
“It was not a mutiny”: Senior staff had no choice but to report Ken Paxton to the FBI, whistleblower testifies
Ryan Bangert, a former top official under the attorney general, said Paxton allowed a friend and political donor to hijack the state agency, diverting it from its mission to help all Texans. Full Story
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![Ryan Bangert, former first deputy assistant of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, testifies at the impeachment trial of Paxton at the Capitol on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023.]()
Credit: Jay Janner/Pool via Austin American-Statesman