Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
Republicans are still engaged in recriminations a week after the Texas Senate voted to acquit Attorney General Ken Paxton in his impeachment trial.
Critics of the verdict, including House Speaker Dade Phelan, continue to accuse Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of rigging the trial, while Patrick is fiercely pushing back.
“For the armchair legal strategists’ opinion on what should have been done differently, I’d remind them there is nothing else that could have been done — the fix was in from the start,” Phelan said in an op-ed he wrote for his hometown newspaper published Friday afternoon.
Patrick responded to the op-ed in a lengthy tweet, saying Phelan’s belief “is disgusting and proves he is unworthy of his leadership position.”
Patrick has consistently denied allegations of bias as the trial judge and has specifically criticized a Democratic state senator who criticized his involvement. In response to the various criticisms directed towards Patrick, the Senate Republican Caucus released a statement on Friday night declaring that any claims suggesting Patrick attempted to influence the jury were not only highly misleading but also factually inaccurate.
Paxton, on his end, has resumed work with a determination to seek political retribution, and his supporters are showing their willingness to support him. On Saturday, the State Republican Executive Committee passed a resolution urging Phelan to resign, shortly after Paxton reaffirmed his previous request for Phelan’s stepping down.
There was no response from Phelan’s office regarding the resolution request for comment.
All 16 impeachment articles against Paxton, accusing him of bribery and misuse of his office, were dismissed by the Senate’s vote of acquittal. Patrick concluded the trial with a passionate speech, criticizing the House members’ handling of Paxton’s impeachment from the beginning. This result further intensified the ongoing internal conflict within the Texas GOP.
Phelan quickly criticized Patrick as showing he had been biased all along, and rumors began spreading that Patrick had meddled in jury deliberations, especially after a Wall Street Journal editorial claimed Patrick “lobbied” senators. He has repeatedly denied that.
Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, who was a member of the jury along with 29 other senators, has also emerged as a vocal critic of how Patrick handled his role as presiding officer of the trial. While Eckhardt is a Democrat, Patrick rules the chamber with an iron fist and it is unusual for even the minority party to strongly criticize him.
Eckhardt submitted a court statement cautioning future senators against placing their trust in a presiding officer such as Patrick.
Eckhardt suggested that, just as in almost all previous impeachment trials in U.S. history, any forthcoming Impeachment tribunal should appoint a seasoned jurist known for their impartiality to serve as the presiding officer.
In June, she criticized Patrick for accepting a sum of $3 million from a pro-Paxton group, which she believed compromised his impartiality. She further claimed that he exhibited “statements of extreme bias from the bench immediately after the verdict was returned.” Additionally, she expressed concern over his inconsistent and legally questionable rulings on motions and objections.
On Friday, Patrick released a lengthy statement in which he strongly disagreed with Eckhardt’s claims and criticized her for being unaware of the facts. Specifically, Patrick took issue with Eckhardt’s assertion that he made the decision to prevent Laura Olson, a crucial witness in the House, from testifying. Olson is the woman who allegedly had an extramarital affair with Paxton. Patrick clarified that he never made a ruling on Olson’s testimony, and it was mutually agreed upon by both parties to consider her as “present but unavailable to testify.”
Eckhardt confirmed on Twitter her continued support for her statement.
Despite having a 72-hour window after the verdict, senators have yet to submit their statements for the records. Surprisingly, even after a week since the trial concluded, the Senate has not made the journal available, which is meant to compile all these statements. In contrast, Eckhardt’s office took the initiative to release her statement independently.
With Patrick under growing scrutiny, GOP senators have been circulating a draft statement that defends his role in the process and insists he had no influence in jury deliberations. One senator who voted to acquit, Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, confirmed the existence of such a statement Friday morning, calling it a “working draft of an oped … that is in the process of being edited for publication in the Wall Street Journal.”
On Friday night, the caucus consisting of 19 members issued a concise statement in support of Patrick, stating that he did not communicate with or influence any senator regarding their vote.
Senators Robert Nichols of Jacksonville and Kelly Hancock of North Richland Hills were the only two Republicans who voted to convict Paxton. Out of the two, Hancock has been more vocal about his decision, granting several interviews.
Hancock has affirmed his tranquility with his choice and remains unfazed, undeterred by any intimidation as he weighs the possibility of seeking reelection in 2026.
Phelan continues to face pressure from Republican activists as they keep the heat on him. The State Republican Executive Committee passed a resolution on Saturday, which had been previously advanced by the Texas GOP resolutions committee, stating that Phelan had coerced other House members to vote for impeachment and is persistently defending his actions despite the weak case.
As The Texas Tribune’s signature event of the year, The Texas Tribune Festival brings Texans closer to politics, policy and the day’s news from Texas and beyond. Browse on-demand recordings and catch up on the biggest headlines from Festival events at the Tribune’s Festival news page.
