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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Monday he plans to file criminal complaints against the group of state representatives who led the impeachment against him for releasing his personal information.
In a statement, he expressed his belief that the impeachment managers purposely intended to intimidate him by publicizing this information last week. He earnestly appealed to the local prosecutors in each district to thoroughly investigate the criminal acts that have been committed.
The 12 House representatives being targeted by Paxton led the impeachment trial in the Senate after the House overwhelmingly voted to impeach Paxton in May. Last month the Senate acquitted Paxton of 16 articles of impeachment that alleged corruption and bribery.
In a statement Monday, Paxton accused the House impeachment managers of violating a new state law with an Oct. 2 release of documents related to the case. The new legislation cited by Paxton prohibits posting an individual’s personal information such as a home address or telephone number with the intent to cause harm to that individual or their family.
Paxton announced his intention to submit criminal complaints in all the counties where the dozen impeachment managers reside. The specific address in question remains unclear. However, numerous addresses associated with Paxton are accessible through publicly available records, which can be easily found online via local municipalities’ appraisal district databases.
On Monday, Rusty Hardin, the house lawyer who handled Paxton’s prosecution, stated that the documents released last week contained identical information already present in previously filed documents or those admitted into the impeachment trial without any objection.
In addition, he mentioned that details about Paxton’s place of residence have been accessible through public records for several years. Moreover, he clarified that the disclosure of the documents was not done with the intention of harming Paxton, as he claimed. Instead, it was merely a reiteration of information available to anyone interested in investigating it.
Hardin stated that if Paxton follows through with his promise to file the criminal complaints, his Houston law firm will contemplate responding with a criminal complaint against Paxton, accusing him of providing false information to the police.
Hardin stated that the current situation is precisely the type of bullying and vengeful behavior that was anticipated if the attorney general was not removed from office through impeachment. According to him, the attorney general is attempting to manipulate the criminal justice system in order to intimidate and penalize those individuals who lawfully sought to impeach him. Hardin further described this as yet another shocking and vengeful action carried out by an individual who is unfit to hold the position of attorney general.
House impeachment manager Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, said in a statement that Paxton’s attack was a form of retaliation against people he deems his enemies. He suggested Paxton should “stop trying to harass legislators” and instead focus on the attorney general’s office.
He stated, “Having been raised on a ranch, I learned to avoid getting manure on my boots. Mr. Paxton’s groundless threats of filing criminal complaints are pure nonsense, and they are only causing trouble for him.”
As of Monday afternoon, district attorneys or their representatives in Brazoria, Harris, and Tarrant counties, where the impeachment managers reside, confirmed that they had not received any complaints from Paxton regarding this matter.
The attorney general’s office spokesperson and the district attorney’s offices, housing other impeachment managers, did not promptly address the inquiry seeking clarification.
The possibility of criminal prosecution that Paxton has raised against the impeachment managers could still be a cause for concern.
David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to freedom of speech, stated that he does not hold a stance on the impeachment itself. However, he believes that it was likely carried out in accordance with Texas law. Loy highlights concerns regarding potential abuse of power and improper retaliation from the attorney general in attempting to prosecute those involved in the impeachment.
