Thursday, June 1, 2023

"Legendary Texas lawyers Dick DeGuerin and Rusty Hardin will serve as lead prosecutors" in the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton

Texas Tribune:

"I promise you it is 10 times worse than what has been public.”

...

The Thursday announcement is the latest development in a fast-moving and high-stakes drama that has gripped the state since last Tuesday, when Paxton accused House Speaker Dade Phelan of presiding over his chamber while intoxicated and demanded he resign. Hours later, a House committee revealed that it had been investigating Paxton for months. Phelan’s office accused the attorney general of trying to distract from the investigative committee's looming hearing.

Last Wednesday, members of the House Committee on General Investigating detailed roughly eight years of alleged misconduct by the attorney general. The bipartisan committee said their inquiry began earlier this year, when Paxton requested that the Legislature — and, thus, taxpayers — cover the cost of a $3.3 million lawsuit settlement with whistleblowers from his office who said they were improperly fired after reporting some of Paxton’s alleged misconduct to authorities.

...

[Paxton] has begun to assemble his defense team, which includes at least six top OAG officials and employees who have taken leaves of absence to work on his behalf.