Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's troubled tenure has recently shed light on significant misuse of taxpayer funds, particularly in high-profile tech lawsuits, including the prominent antitrust case against Google. This revelation comes after Paxton faced impeachment proceedings and multiple legal challenges.
According to The Texas Tribune, Paxton's history of legal entanglements dates back to his indictment on securities fraud charges in 2015, just a year after taking office as Texas Attorney General. The situation escalated, and he was confronted with impeachment proceedings this year initiated by fellow Republicans within the Texas legislature.
Paxton's mismanagement was exemplified in a Big Tech antitrust lawsuit which began in 2020, according to The Texas Tribune. The case originated from a Texas-led investigation, which initially intended to handle the matter internally. However, during the fall of 2020, Paxton instead opted to hire costly external legal counsel, spending tens of millions of taxpayer dollars for the lawsuit. This decision was a departure from the initial plan of handling the case internally. It's uncommon for the Texas attorney general's office to employ outside counsel, making this move especially significant.
According to CBS News, earlier this month Paxton faced 16 impeachment articles, the allegations primarily revolving around the misuse of his office's power to favor embattled political allies. The trial began in the Senate on September 5, but he has been suspended of his duties since the Texas House voted to impeach him in May of this year. In calling the event "historic," CBS notes that Paxton was only the third Texas official, and second statewide, to potentially be impeached.
The Texas Tribune points out that in May of this year, when Paxton's impeachment was initially filed, his office asked lawmakers to use $3.3 million in taxpayer dollars to pay a settlement to the whistleblowing staffers who reported his misconduct.
On September 16, the Texas Senate acquitted Attorney General Paxton on all 16 articles of impeachment alleging corruption and bribery. While only two of 19 Republican Senators voted in favor of convicting for any article, more than 70% of House Republicans impeached the attorney general back in May.