Impeached Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton does not plan to testify in his own defense in his trial in the Senate, reported the Associated Press on Tuesday.
"In a lengthy statement released Monday night, Paxton’s lead attorney against criticized the proceedings that led to the GOP-controlled Texas House impeaching the state’s top law enforcement in May," reported Paul J. Weber. "Paxton, a Republican, is temporarily suspended from office pending the outcome of his trial on 20 articles of impeachment that include charges of bribery and abuse of office. Separately, he is under FBI investigation over accusations that he used his power to help a donor. That donor was indicted in a federal court in Austin last month on charges of making false statements to banks."
Paxton is an ally of former President Donald Trump who spearheaded a controversial lawsuit in 2020 trying to get the presidential election results thrown out.
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In a statement, lead Paxton attorney Tony Buzbee said, "They had the opportunity to have Attorney General Paxton testify during their sham investigation but refused to do so. We will not bow to their evil, illegal, and unprecedented weaponization of state power in the Senate chamber.”
The trial has raised other complicated questions, including the fact that Paxton's wife serves in the Senate and would theoretically be a juror against him. The Texas Senate passed a new rule barring spouses of impeached officers from voting in the case; however, this rule functionally means very little because it doesn't reduce the number of votes required for conviction when a spouse recuses.
In addition to the impeachment, Paxton is under indictment for securities fraud. That case has been delayed for years, with no clear timeline for a trial.
