Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has referred to as on fellow Republican state House Speaker Dade Phelan to resign over alleged drunkenness, however the speaker’s workplace mentioned Mr. Paxton is attempting to divert consideration from an investigation by the Legislature into his purported misconduct.
The feud throughout the state’s Republican Party boiled over this week when Mr. Paxton accused Mr. Phelan of presiding over the state House “in an obviously intoxicated state” throughout a session on May 19. The lawyer normal referred to as for an investigation into the incident.
“Texans were dismayed to witness his performance presiding over the Texas House in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication,” Mr. Paxton wrote in an announcement posted on Twitter on Tuesday. “His conduct has negatively impacted the legislative process and constitutes a failure to live up to his duty to the public.”
He urged the Legislature’s General Investigations Committee to open an investigation into Mr. Phelan “for violation of House rules, state law, and for conduct unbecoming his position.”
A 44-second video of Mr. Phelan presiding on the speaker’s podium whereas slurring his phrases went viral. But his allies famous that he was speaking usually earlier than and after the clip, The Texas Tribune reported.
After Mr. Paxton raised his accusations in opposition to the speaker, a state House committee revealed it was investigating Mr. Paxton’s workplace over his push for $3.3 million in state funds to settle a whistleblower lawsuit from former deputies who accused him of misconduct.
“The motives for and timing behind Paxton’s statement … couldn’t be more evident,” Phelan spokeswoman Cait Wittman mentioned in an announcement. “Mr. Paxton’s statement … amounts to little more than a last-ditch effort to save face.”
The House Committee on General Investigating was listening to testimony within the Paxton case Wednesday. The committee additionally directed Mr. Paxton’s workplace in a letter to protect all proof associated to the probe.
The letter knowledgeable Mr. Paxton that the committee “has been conducting an investigation related to your request for $3.3 million of public money to pay a settlement resolving litigation between your agency and terminated whistleblowers,” in line with The Tribune.
Mr. Paxton reached a $3.3 million settlement in February with 4 former deputies who alleged they had been fired in retaliation for reporting his alleged misconduct to federal investigators. The Legislature has resisted authorizing state funds to pay for it, and Mr. Phelan mentioned it will not be a “proper use of taxpayer dollars.”
Mr. Paxton has been embroiled in ethics points beforehand, together with an indictment in 2015 for alleged securities fraud. He has denied wrongdoing.
“Of all the elected officials in Texas to cast stones … it’s the guy with pending felony charges,” tweeted Rep. Gene Wu, Houston Democrat, in response to Mr. Paxton’s assertion calling on the speaker to resign.
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