John Scott appointed as interim Attorney General of Texas after Ken Paxton’s impeachment.

After the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed John Scott as the state’s interim attorney general. This move comes after allegations of malfeasance against Paxton.

Who is John Scott?

John Scott is a Republican who has previously worked in the office of the Texas attorney general. He most recently served as Texas secretary of state. Abbott appointed Scott as the state’s chief elections officer in October 2021, and he held the position until December 2022, when he resigned prior to the state Senate’s confirmation vote.

Scott was on former President Donald Trump’s legal team last year when it challenged the results of the 2020 election. After three days, Scott left the team.

During the time Abbott served as Texas’ attorney general, Scott was also the deputy attorney general. As a lawyer for the state, Scott fought for Texas’ strict voter ID law, which went into effect after Democrats and minority rights groups fought it in court for years.

Impeachment of Ken Paxton

On May 27, the state House voted to remove Paxton from office. Twenty articles of impeachment were sent to the state Senate. To move forward with the impeachment, the House needed a clear majority of its 149 members. Sixty of the 85 House Republicans agreed with the Democrats, making the final vote 121-23.

The House impeachment process was “absolutely political targeting,” and the House General Investigating Committee process was “flawed” and “despicable,” Republican state Rep. Tony Tinderholt said in an interview on Newsmax on May 30.

Conclusion

With John Scott’s appointment as interim attorney general, Texas is moving forward after the impeachment of Ken Paxton. It remains to be seen what changes Scott will bring to the office, but his previous experience in the attorney general’s office and as Texas secretary of state make him a strong candidate for the position.