Texas State Senator Calls for Restart of Impeachment Proceedings Against AG Paxton

A Texas state senator who voted to acquit Attorney General Ken Paxton in an impeachment trial last year wants colleagues to consider restarting proceedings against his fellow Republican.

Retiring state Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, wrote a Thursday letter to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and fellow senators to say that “recent developments have made me question whether AG Paxton and his legal team misled the Senate.”

“AG Paxton said, in his whistleblower lawsuit, that he ‘elects not to contest any issue of fact in this case, as to the claim or damages,'” Springer wrote in a Thursday night post on X in which he shared the letter.

“He cannot admit guilt while claiming innocence. I urge the Lt. Gov & my Senate colleagues to consider reopening Paxton’s impeachment. Paxton has not only admitted to violating the articles of impeachment, but he is exposing Texas taxpayers to a settlement of WELL OVER $3.3M. Texans deserve the truth! #txlege.”

Paxton dismissed Springer’s letter in a statement to The Texas Tribune.

“Springer has to leave the senate because he was such a bad senator, wasn’t going to get reelected, and needed a job,” Paxton said. “Why should anyone listen to his sour grapes.”

Springer’s letter came days after Paxton announced he would not contest the facts of the whistleblower lawsuit in an attempt to end it without having to testify under oath.

However, a Texas judge on Jan. 19 ordered Paxton to appear for a deposition in a lawsuit brought by four former employees. Judge Jan Soifer of the 250th Judicial District in Travis County said she issued her order because Paxton’s office “failed to negotiate in good faith to schedule these depositions.”

Four former top-ranking deputies allege that Paxton wrongfully terminated them after reporting him to federal authorities. They claimed the AG was abusing his office to help a wealthy friend and donor.

The judge’s order came a day after Paxton’s attorneys submitted a filing that they said aims to end the lawsuit the former employees brought against his office, KXAN reported.

The Texas Senate acquitted Paxton in September on 16 articles of impeachment.

One of the articles of impeachment that Paxton was acquitted on alleged that he violated the Texas Whistleblower Act, The Texas Tribune reported.

Springer wrote that Paxton “completely changed his position in less than four months.”

A least one Democrat senator agreed with Springer’s request.

“I agree with my colleague that AG Paxton’s recent admissions in the whistleblower suit are also admissions to one or more of the articles of impeachment,” Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, posted Thursday night on X. I support the Senate reopening the impeachment proceedings in light of this substantial new evidence. #txlege.”