Day Three of Ken Paxton’s Impeachment Trial Reveals New Lows from Inside the Attorney General’s Office
AUSTIN, Texas – From tearful accounts of alleged workplace abuse, to shocking revelations of changes to state foreclosure law to benefit Paxton’s buddies, to accounts of the state’s top law enforcement officer pushing to share sensitive documents with Nate Paul – today’s testimony from witnesses revealed further insight into the circus that Ken Paxton was running from inside the Texas Attorney General’s office.
Toplines:
Ken Paxton and Tony Buzbee were notably absent from the entirety of today’s proceedings.
New revelations came to light about Paxton pushing to release confidential FBI records to Nate Paul, a move that would have upended decades of legal precedent. This adds another disturbing layer to the already alarming relationship between Paxton and Paul, and shows the lengths of criminality that the top law enforcement officer of the state would go to protect his cronies.
Ryan Vassar, a witness, whistleblower, and former top aide to Ken Paxton, teared up on the stand while addressing his being labeled a "rogue employee" by Paxton. His emotional testimony underscored the human cost of Paxton's alleged misconduct.
Ryan Bangert also testified that he was "deeply concerned" that the Attorney General's office had been "hijacked" to serve the interests of Nate Paul against the broader public interest.
A member of Paxton's defense team, Anthony Osso, continued to accuse whistleblowers of going "behind Ken Paxton's back," and portraying them as “disloyal” — attempting to tarnish their reputations as Republican attorneys rather than actually being honest about the allegations that have been made against his client.
Paxton's campaign sent out yet another fundraising appeal, telling his supporters “with your help, I can be back in office by the end of the month.” Paxton is being represented by Stone Hilton PLLC -- a firm quickly founded by employees of the Office of the Attorney General who are now on leave to defend their former boss. He can legally use these campaign donations to pay his legal fees.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa issued the following statement:
“Ken Paxton has a long rap sheet of abusing his power while holding public office. It’s only the third day of testimony, and now, Paxton’s crimes during his tenure as Attorney General are being exposed for all to see. Let’s be clear – this is a sad moment in history for Texas. Under no circumstance should an elected official – especially the state’s top law enforcement officer – be held to such a low standard by their constituents and colleagues. Ken Paxton’s crimes put the credibility and legitimacy of Texas’ attorney general office in doubt. And based on today’s testimony, the remainder of this trial will continue to reveal Paxton’s elusive, corrupt and criminal tenure.
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