[TX] Ken Paxton

[Isgrimnur]

Bringing disrepute on the name Ken since at least 2002.

Texas Senate rejects all motions to dismiss Ken Paxton impeachment charges

The pretrial motions required a majority vote. The most support a motion to dismiss received was 10 out of 30 senators.

[malchior]

Just to break out the conviction math. It is in the article but a crib sheet seems handy anyway.

There are 30 senators.
They need 20 votes (2/3) to convict and remove Paxton.

12 Democrats (going to assume they'll vote to convict but who knows!)
18 Republicans

6 Republicans voted to dismiss all charges
10 Republicans in combinations voted to dismiss at least one charge

This implies 12 Republicans are open to convicting on at least one charge at the outset.

Paxton needs to peel off 4 from that 12 to survive this. This assumes no Democratic party drama which is always in the mix. I thought conviction was a fait accompli but maybe it's...not? It might end up being pretty bruising.

[El Guapo]

Just to break out the conviction math. It is in the article but a crib sheet seems handy anyway.

There are 30 senators.
They need 20 votes (2/3) to convict and remove Paxton.

12 Democrats (going to assume they'll vote to convict but who knows!)
18 Republicans

6 Republicans voted to dismiss all charges
10 Republicans in combinations voted to dismiss at least one charge

This implies 12 Republicans are open to convicting on at least one charge at the outset.

Paxton needs to peel off 4 from that 12 to survive this. This assumes no Democratic party drama which is always in the mix. I thought conviction was a fait accompli but maybe it's...not? It might end up being pretty bruising.

Paxton needs to peel off five not four, right? Assuming all Democrats vote to convict then they need 8 out of the 12, so if Paxton peels off four of the twelve then Democrats have the eight Republican votes that they need.

[malchior]

Right! Quick math was off by one. In any case, I really thought he was a goner but needing ~50% of the remaining Republicans to convict is no sure bet. It isn't a party chock full of moral/ethical people - especially in Texas. The wheedling behind the scenes must be interesting.

[Smoove_B]

Always remember, it's not about what's right or wrong, but how it will look. In other words, America (and various state GOP franchise locations) can't possibly be expected to bear the stigma of TX impeaching a state attorney general - even someone as awful as Ken Paxton. Just think of what it'll do to their brand!

[Isgrimnur]

The wheedling behind the scenes must be interesting.

[El Guapo]

Right! Quick math was off by one. In any case, I really thought he was a goner but needing ~50% of the remaining Republicans to convict is no sure bet. It isn't a party chock full of moral/ethical people - especially in Texas. The wheedling behind the scenes must be interesting.

Is the state GOP leadership supporting removal? If so I think that would help quite a bit.

But yeah, this is the kind of thing that seems like it should be a slam dunk but...honestly my opinion of the GOP is so low at this point that I'm still mildly surprised that the odds of removal are as high as they are.

[Pyperkub]

Right! Quick math was off by one. In any case, I really thought he was a goner but needing ~50% of the remaining Republicans to convict is no sure bet. It isn't a party chock full of moral/ethical people - especially in Texas. The wheedling behind the scenes must be interesting.

Is the state GOP leadership supporting removal? If so I think that would help quite a bit.

But yeah, this is the kind of thing that seems like it should be a slam dunk but...honestly my opinion of the GOP is so low at this point that I'm still mildly surprised that the odds of removal are as high as they are.

Oh, it's not opinion, it is demonstrated fact that the GOP will ignore crimes by their politicians.

[Holman]

Isn't this only happening because Paxton has made many enemies among fellow Republicans?

It's not like the Texas GOP came down with a case of ethical probity.

[malchior]

Isn't this only happening because Paxton has made many enemies among fellow Republicans?

It's not like the Texas GOP came down with a case of ethical probity.

He took a swing at Texas House leadership. Still some of what I read indicated this a bit of a proxy fight inside the Texas GOP. House leadership is supposedly "center right" and has been feuding with the hard right ideologues who want to push more culture war.

Paxton is pure MAGA (for grifting purposes natch!) and might be on the receiving end of a message for Texas MAGA. There is a chance they might just give him a close shave. Paxton is AFAIK still backed by capital. In any case, we'll probably learn more as this plays out about the state of the Texas GOP.

[malchior]

Paxton acquitted.

[Holman]

Unbelievable.

But isn't he still under FBI investigation or something?

[Grifman]

It was clear from everything that I have read that he was guilty. But Trump and the MAGA base supported him, and the Republican senators were fearful of being primaried. So that was that.

[Unagi]

Seriously depressing.

[malchior]

What we learned is that it was a battle between terrible and really terrible and really terrible won.

[GreenGoo]

I hope the Texas populace is outraged. I don't even live in the country let alone state and it is an affront to justice.

[El Guapo]

Depressing. Seems like the GOP is giving up entirely on any measures of accountability for misdeeds for their compatriots. What's more, I'm guessing that the Republicans who lead the impeachment are going to be purged within the next couple years; don't know for sure, but that's how things seem to go these days in the GOP.

[Blackhawk]

I've reached a point where I no longer see Texas and Florida as representative of the US. They're so far outside the norms that they're more of a freak outlier.

The scary part, though, is that they are representative of what the US could become over the next few years.

[Carpet_pissr]

I've reached a point where I no longer see Texas and Florida as representative of the US. They're so far outside the norms that they're more of a freak outlier.

The scary part, though, is that they are representative of what the US could become over the next few years.

In before Is.
Population of both states: approx. 51 million, red-voting, allegedly Jesus-loving, gubmint-hating souls, or approximately 15% of the total US population.

[Kraken]

TX has some blue oases and could be purple if the apportionment was fair. FL...well, it USED to be purple, but it's a magnet for deplorables so maybe not anymore.

[Blackhawk]

I was speaking of the state governments and their actions. The actual positions of the population don't seem to have much bearing on such things lately.

[geezer]

I hope the Texas populace is outraged. I don't even live in the country let alone state and it is an affront to justice.

Some of us are - Ken Paxton is the worst of the worst. That said, I followed the trial fairly closely, and while the fix may have been in from the start, the folks prosecuting the case really got out-lawyered, and one of the expected key witnesses - Paxton's mistress, essentially refused to testify.

None of this is to say that the verdict was just, but the pro-Paxton crowd had enough trial cover to acquit, and MASSIVE pressure from right wing media and money guys to find a way to do it.

[Roman]

Read a post over on Twitter today saying that Trump and friends threatened to primary Texas Senate members with huge $$ backing if they voted to impeach Paxton.

[malchior]

Keep in mind that the causality is very much in question. There were a lot of shenanigans all around. Still I have to weigh these stories against Trump's natural desire to look as influential as possible. This might be them trying to take credit after the outcome was decided.

[geezer]

Read a post over on Twitter today saying that Trump and friends threatened to primary Texas Senate members with huge $$ backing if they voted to impeach Paxton.

Well, yeah. That's been blatant. Not necessarily Trump, but the same Texas money guys (And their whackadoo Twitter proxies like Texas Scorecard) that support Paxton were publicly and blatantly saying this. They also donated 3 million to the Lt. Gov - Dan Patrick - who was acting as the "judge" in the trial just before.

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/18 ... n-patrick/

[Carpet_pissr]

The actual positions of the population don't seem to have much bearing on such things lately.

Truth, sadly.

[coopasonic]

I hope the Texas populace is outraged. I don't even live in the country let alone state and it is an affront to justice.

There are outraged individuals, but I would say the main reaction is *shrug* or Who? or Politics? Whatever or ooh a rich and powerful man wasn't held accountable for his actions? Shocking. *eyeroll*

[GreenGoo]

There's a big difference between random "rich and powerful person" and "attorney general". One is far away. The other turns your state in Gotham City.

[Carpet_pissr]

There's a big difference between random "rich and powerful person" and "attorney general".

Probably not to the average man on the street.

[malchior]

Justice very delayed...

Attorney General Ken Paxton’s long-delayed trial on securities fraud charges has been set for April 15.

State District Judge Andrea Beall scheduled the trial during a hearing Monday morning in Houston.

Paxton was indicted on the charges over eight years ago, months into his first term as the state’s top law enforcement official. The charges stem from accusations that in 2011 he tried to solicit investors in a McKinney technology company without disclosing that it was paying him to promote its stock. Paxton has pleaded not guilty.

The trial has been delayed for years over a number of pretrial disputes, including the venue. The case began in Paxton’s native Collin County but was moved to more neutral territory in Harris County at the prosecution’s urging.