Texas State Senator Paxton has been prohibited from voting in her husband’s impeachment trial.

Texas State Senator Angela Paxton Barred from Voting in Husband’s Impeachment Trial

In a highly anticipated impeachment trial set to begin on September 5, Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, wife of Attorney General Ken Paxton, will not have the privilege to cast her vote.

During a hearing on June 21, the Republican-controlled Senate approved 31 rules for the upcoming trial, one of which prohibits Sen. Paxton from participating in any way, including closed sessions and deliberations, due to a conflict of interest. However, she will be allowed to be present during the trial.

Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Senate’s presiding officer, expressed his satisfaction with the unanimous decision, stating, “I’ve never seen 31 senators more united. You’re united to take an Oath so that justice prevails so that everyone will do their job to the utmost, fairness in this impeachment trial upcoming in September.”

Patrick further assured the citizens of Texas that the Senate would conduct a fair and just trial.

Conviction Requires Bipartisan Support

A two-thirds majority vote in the 31-member chamber is necessary to convict Paxton. With 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats, all Democrats would need the support of nine Republicans to permanently remove Paxton from office.

Sen. Paxton had previously stated her intention to fulfill her duties as a member of the Senate before her husband’s trial. However, she did not explicitly mention whether she would recuse herself from the vote to remove the attorney general from office.

Articles of Impeachment Against Paxton

The impeachment process against Paxton began when the GOP-led Texas House voted 123–23 in favor of adopting 20 articles of impeachment on May 27.

These articles include allegations of false statements, obstruction of justice, bribery, and abuse of public trust. Paxton is accused of conducting a “sham investigation” into whistleblower complaints made by his office employees, whom he allegedly fired in retaliation for reporting him to federal law enforcement for alleged illegal acts and improper conduct.

Furthermore, the articles state that Paxton benefited from a woman with whom he had an extramarital affair being employed by real estate developer Nate Paul. Paul received favorable legal assistance and specialized access to the attorney general’s office in return for providing renovations to Paxton’s home.

Additional charges stem from Paxton’s pending 2015 felony securities fraud case, including making false statements to state investigators.

Paxton, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, who was reelected as attorney general in November, has vehemently denied the charges, labeling the impeachment as a “politically motivated sham from the beginning.”

Impeachment Trial Labeled “Politically Motivated”

Paxton’s trial will be largely open to the public.