(RightWing.org) – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who recently survived an impeachment attempt, has blasted his fellow Republicans — and hinted at future political ambitions. Paxton, who has had long-running legal issues linked to alleged fraud, isn’t popular with either party; the impeachment attempt was solidly bipartisan. However, it doesn’t sound like he’s going to let that get in his way.
Paxton’s political career began in the Texas House of Representatives, where he sat from 2003 to 2013. He then spent two years in the Texas Senate before becoming attorney general in 2015. However, since then he’s been plagued with legal issues.
In July 2015, he was indicted on securities fraud charges. The next year, the Securities and Exchange Commission launched a civil suit against him over the same allegations. The SEC case was dismissed in 2017 but the state charges haven’t come to trial yet. Then, in 2020, seven of his aides accused him of abusing his office; a deal that would have seen Paxton pay the whistleblowers multi-million-dollar damages fell through, and that case is now with the Texas Supreme Court.
In May, the Texas House voted to impeach Paxton in a bipartisan vote. On September 16, the Texas Senate voted on the case and acquitted Paxton of all charges. Now the AG is hitting back. Right after the verdict, he released a scorching statement aimed at his political enemies, from Texas legislators up to the Biden administration. He claimed the White House was the driving force behind the impeachment, and promised to avenge himself on the administration. He was defiant about the securities fraud case, too, writing it off as another sign of official persecution against him.
Interestingly, he also took aim at Senator John Cornyn (R-TX). Paxton criticized Cornyn for not doing enough about the illegal immigration crisis at our southern border, then added that the senator has “never really had competition.” When former Fox host Tucker Carlson asked if he’d consider challenging him Paxton said, “Everything’s on the table.” His impeachment victory could be just the boost he needs to launch a bid for Cornyn’s seat in the next election.
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