Texas AG Ken Paxton’s affair explains his unlawful acts, former aide testifies at impeachment trial

AUSTIN, Texas — An extramarital affair Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had with a donor’s worker helped join the dots about why the Republican was utilizing his energy in ways in which are actually on the middle of his impeachment trial on accusations of corruption, a former high aide testified Wednesday.

“It answered that ‘why’ question,” stated Jeff Mateer, who was Paxton’s second-in-command on the Texas lawyer common’s workplace.

The account by Mateer, who went on to report Paxton to the FBI in 2020 over allegations of abuse of workplace, shortly injected an affair that Paxton has acknowledged to employees into the historic impeachment trial — the gravest menace to Paxton’s political profession after years of felony costs and alleged scandal.

At the middle of the case are accusations that Texas’ high lawyer wrongfully used his energy to assist Austin actual property developer Nate Paul, considered one of his political supporters who was underneath FBI investigation on the time and was indicted this summer time on costs of constructing false statements to banks.

During hours of often tense cross-examination, Paxton lawyer Tony Buzbee didn’t delve into the affair, however waived off Paul’s $25,000 marketing campaign contribution as an unremarkable donation in Texas politics and recommended Mateer and different deputies wished to grab energy.

“You were staging a coup, weren’t you?” stated Buzbee, a high-profile Houston lawyer whose previous purchasers have included former Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

“Absolutely not,” Mateer replied.

Paxton, who will not be required to attend the proceedings within the Texas Senate, was once more absent when Mateer took the stand as the primary key witness in a trial that might final a number of weeks. Paxton’s spouse, state Sen. Angela Paxton, will not be allowed to vote within the trial and watched from her desk whereas Mateer testified.

“We’re only a few days away from one of the toughest fights of my entire career,” Paxton advised supporters in an e mail Wednesday asking them for donations to assist restore him to workplace “by the end of the month.”

More than 100 individuals have been recognized as potential witnesses for the trial, in response to a listing obtained by The Associated Press. They embody the lady with whom Paxton had the affair, however it’s unclear whether or not she or others on the checklist will testify.

By beginning with Mateer, Republican impeachment managers opened their case with one of many closest members of Paxton’s former interior circle. But additionally they put forth a primary witness with agency conservative credentials earlier than a jury of largely Republican senators.

Mateer, a Christian conservative lawyer, was as soon as nominated by former President Donald Trump for a federal judgeship. Paxton has argued that the impeachment is politically motivated and pushed by members of the GOP who’re “RINOs” — which means “Republicans in name only.”

The Republican-led House voted 121-23 to question Paxton in May, with the 20 articles of impeachment together with abuse of public belief, unfitness for workplace and bribery. The vote instantly suspended Paxton and made him solely the third sitting official in Texas’ almost 200-year historical past to be impeached.

A two-thirds majority — or 21 senators — is required for conviction, which means that if all 12 Democrats vote towards Paxton, no less than 9 Republicans must be part of them.

According to Mateer, he and different senior employees underneath Paxton had grown more and more involved as their boss started taking what seemed to be a private curiosity in Paul’s claims that he had been unjustly focused by the FBI. He stated they turned significantly troubled when Paxton employed an inexperienced exterior lawyer to look into Paul’s accusations that appeared baseless.

Mateer stated he struggled to grasp why Paxton was serving to Paul, however that upon studying in regards to the continued affair, the scenario turned clearer in his thoughts. He stated he and different employees members, together with seven different whistleblowers who additionally went to the FBI, tried to assist Paxton however to no avail.

“We couldn’t protect him because he didn’t want to be protected,” Mateer stated.

How a lot Paxton will participate in Texas’ first impeachment trial in almost a half century is up within the air. Paxton left the proceedings early and can’t be compelled to testify.

“I want to thank you all for your prayers and support. I will never back down for defending freedom,” Paxton posted Tuesday on X, previously referred to as Twitter.

On Tuesday, dozens of Paxton supporters got here to observe the beginning of the proceedings, a few of whom traveled a whole bunch of miles. But on Wednesday, many rows within the Senate gallery have been naked because the trial resumed.

For years, many Texas Republicans have resisted criticizing or going through head-on the litany of authorized troubles surrounding Paxton, who has remained fashionable among the many laborious proper by aligning himself carefully to Trump and dashing his workplace into lawsuits which have halted priorities of the Biden administration.