AUSTIN - Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed John Scott as the short-term interim Attorney General of Texas after the suspension of Ken Paxton.
The Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Paxton last week following an investigation that resulted in 20 charges alleging abuses of power.
Scott most recently served as Texas secretary of state for Abbott and previously served as deputy AG for civil litigation when Abbott was the AG.
“John Scott has the background and experience needed to step in as a short-term interim attorney general during the time (Paxton) has been suspended from duty,” said Abbott. “He served under me in the (OAG) and knows how the … office operates. His decades of experience and expertise in litigation will help guide him while serving as the state’s top law enforcement officer.
“I appoint John Scott for this role based on the Texas Constitution to serve for a temporary period during the Texas Senate’s resolution of the impeachment proceedings.”
Scott has successfully tried more than 100 lawsuits and has experience handling cases at the U.S. Supreme Court.