Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton criticized the impeachment attempt levied against him in an interview with Tucker Carlson released Wednesday.
Paxton argued that the impeachment, of which he was acquitted, had a “political” motive. The GOP-majority House in Texas voted 121-23 to impeach him on allegations of bribery and using his power to benefit wealthy donor Nate Paul.
“It wasn’t just about the law. It became political, completely,” Paxton said.
Carlson pointed out that although Paxton is known as a major “legal opponent” of the Biden administration, Texas Republicans were the ones who tried to have him removed from his role as attorney general. (RELATED: ‘No Evidence Whatsoever’: Lawyers For Impeached Republican AG Want Almost All Charges Against Him Dismissed)
“Yeah, that’s what it looks like,” Paxton said.
Ep. 25 Liberals like Karl Rove just tried to annihilate Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. It didn’t work. Paxton just joined us for his first interview since his acquittal. pic.twitter.com/SAJGNN5LXW
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) September 21, 2023
He said that although Texas is considered a conservative state, the Texas House of Representatives has a very significant Democratic minority who always vote in a “bloc.” He said that this gives Democrats substantial influence in selecting Republican speakers, for instance. Paxton said that many conservative policies are blocked by the state’s House because it is controlled by liberals.
“Wait, so you could have a big majority in the Texas House, but still not control the Texas House?” Carlson asked
“It is crazy,” Paxton said.
“The speaker is controlled by the Democrats,” Paxton added.
He alleged that two of the lawyers the Texas House of Representatives tasked with investigating him “came from the Biden DOJ.”
“That’s not an accident, they were sent there,” he said
Carlson noted that Paxton had filed many lawsuits against the Biden Administration and asked if he believed they were behind the effort to oust him from his office. Paxton agreed. He said he caused a lot of “trouble” for the Biden Administration, and even in lawsuits he didn’t win, he effectively “slowed them down.” He said that he won roughly 77 percent of his cases against the Biden Administration, making him a “huge problem.”
Paxton says that the impeachment proceedings blindsided him and that he had “no idea” it was happening. He said that the Texas House Investigative Committee spent only one day deliberating his impeachment. However, he said that there was a “secret” investigation against him that took place for three months that almost everyone was unaware of with “no transparency” and “no due process.”
He said that he was suspended from his job after being informed of the impeachment process. He claimed that he was removed from his office and was unable to work on any more lawsuits against the Biden administration. He lamented that he has spent roughly half his term out of office, and said that a lot of his staff has left their jobs.
“They created a lot of harm to the state of Texas by doing it this way,” Paxton said.
Texas state Senators voted to acquit Paxton during his impeachment trial on Sept. 16. Paxton pleaded not guilty to the 16 articles of impeachment during the first day of the trial. Former President Donald Trump defended Paxton on Truth Social ahead of the impeachment trial.
“Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was easily re-elected last November, but now establishment RINOS are trying to undo that Election with a shameful impeachment of him. Who would replace Paxton, one of the TOUGHEST & BEST Attorney Generals in the Country? Could it be a Democrat, or even worse, a RINO? The voters have decided who they want! Democrats are feeling very good right now as they watch, as usual, the Republicans fight & eat away at each other. It’s a SAD day in the Great State of Texas!” Trump wrote.