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Attorney General Ken Paxton avoided removal from office by the Texas Senate earlier this month, but another elected leader in the state was not so fortunate.
The Texas A&M University Student Senate voted 35-15 Wednesday night to impeach and remove student body President Hudson Kraus from office, according to The Battalion, the student newspaper.
Earlier this month, the student Senate motioned to impeach Kraus as allegations arose that he had abused his authority to favor his younger brother, who is also a student at the university. The trial for impeachment was held privately, and Kraus has yet to provide a response to a comment request.
The controversy began when a student senator revealed that Kraus had edited the job description for a cabinet position to fit his younger brother’s qualifications on the same day the student Senate was set to vote on filling the position. The student Senate then blocked Kraus’ brother from being appointed to a cabinet position.
Kraus apologized to senators privately.
“In light of my deep-rooted value for family, my primary intention was to safeguard my brother and ensure his well-being,” stated Kraus in an apology letter featured in The Battalion. “Regrettably, I made misguided choices that do not reflect my true character as I sought to defend a loved one.”
However, the Battalion informed that the senators were demanding a public apology.
Kraus initially lodged an appeal with the Judicial Court of Texas A&M, as reported by The Battalion. This appeal is typically made when an individual perceives a mistake in student government procedures. In response, the court of student justices approved an injunction, temporarily halting the proceedings until a judicial trial could take place.
According to a statement released on September 19, Kraus defended his actions and stated that he had the presidential authority to modify the qualifications for the cabinet position. As a result, he promptly withdrew the appeal.
Kraus expressed regret for not effectively communicating the revised qualifications during the general senate meeting. They also suggested considering an alternative course of action instead of resorting to impeachment, which should be reserved for cases of office misuse.
He stated that impeaching him would go against the wishes of the Texas A&M student body, who chose him to be their representative as Student Body President.
Senators refused to provide any comments on the vote, as they were bound by a gag order, until an official statement is released by the senate’s Internal Affairs Committee, as reported by The Battalion.
Impeachment proceedings have not been initiated against a student body president at Texas A&M since 2014.
That impeachment was brought against the president by former student senator Cary Cheshire, now a right-wing activist tied to groups funded by West Texas oil tycoon Tim Dunn.
The impeachment ultimately failed.
John Sharp, the Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, is among the numerous state leaders who have held the position of student body president during their college years.
During his time at Baylor University, Paxton served as the student body president.
Disclosure: Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Correction, : An earlier version of this story misspelled Cary Cheshire's name.
