A poll by the Texas Politics Project shows that 35% of voters didn't know or had no opinion on whether Paxton's impeachment was justified. The survey showed 47% felt the impeachment was with merit, while 18% said it was not justified. The poll revealed that 43% of GOP respondents were undecided on whether the impeachment should have occurred.

Aliceinbubbleland said:

---

whiterock said:

---

Who's being responsible here, and who's playing politics?

---

1 - Dade Phelan. 2 - Christian Right Democrats

---

FIFY

Osodecentx said:

---

A poll by the Texas Politics Project shows that 35% of voters didn't know or had no opinion on whether Paxton's impeachment was justified. The survey showed 47% felt the impeachment was with merit, while 18% said it was not justified. The poll revealed that 43% of GOP respondents were undecided on whether the impeachment should have occurred.

---

Very weak numbers for the impeachment question, which illustrates the problem with such a hasty process. Look how long McCarthy is letting the impeachment issue build on Biden....drip, drip, drip, drip....you wait until your side is about to blow a gasket to get on with it, and try to build fear and trepidation in the other side, and let the process dominate the news cycle. The Paxton indictment, however, came like a bolt out of the blue. Very poor politics (for the impeachment side).

This is guaranteed to build enmity and retribution fights in the GOP for years to come. Phelan has entered Strass-level hatred within the base, pitting every one of this caucus members in a vise.

That, of course, is what Democrats wanted all along......

whiterock said:

---

Aliceinbubbleland said:

---

whiterock said:

---

Who's being responsible here, and who's playing politics?

---

1 - Dade Phelan. 2 - Christian Right Democrats

---

FIFY

---

House Republicans overwhelmingly voted to impeach Paxton, not just Democrats.

"If campaign donations were bribes, everybody in this town would be impeached," Buzbee says #txlege

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) September 5, 2023

The Senate is running on Dewhurst Standard Time, it appears #txlege https://t.co/CHaa13msyC

— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) September 6, 2023

LOL. I noticed that too.

Jeff Mateer testifies that Paxton's alleged extramarital affair is relevant because "it answered that question: Why is he engaging in all of these activities" to help Paul?

"This was so unlike what I experienced with him for four years." #txlege

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) September 6, 2023

boognish_bear said:

---

Jeff Mateer testifies that Paxton's alleged extramarital affair is relevant because "it answered that question: Why is he engaging in all of these activities" to help Paul?

"This was so unlike what I experienced with him for four years." #txlege

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) September 6, 2023

---

He has been an awesome witness. I eagerly await to hear if Buzbee tears him apart. That will be difficult.

Aliceinbubbleland said:

---

boognish_bear said:

---

Jeff Mateer testifies that Paxton's alleged extramarital affair is relevant because "it answered that question: Why is he engaging in all of these activities" to help Paul?

"This was so unlike what I experienced with him for four years." #txlege

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) September 6, 2023

---

He has been an awesome witness. I eagerly await to hear if Buzbee tears him apart. That will be difficult.

---

I've heard there will be 100 or so witnesses....everyone's heads will be spinning at the end of this.

whiterock said:

---

Osodecentx said:

---

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/07/27/texas-ag-ken-paxton-was-indicted-for-fraud-5-years-ago-will-he-ever-face-a-jury/

Texas AG Ken Paxton was indicted for fraud nearly eight years ago. He hasn't faced a jury

The case against Paxton, a Republican, has been delayed multiple times since he was indicted months into his first term. He now faces an unrelated House ethics investigation into allegations of abuse of office.

Paxton's alleged crimes date back to his time as a state lawmaker. He represented parts of Collin County in the Texas House for 10 years before winning a seat in the Texas Senate in November 2012. He was elected attorney general two years later and indicted seven months into his first term.
He is charged with two first-degree felonies over allegations that he persuaded friends to invest in a McKinney technology company called Servergy Inc. without telling them he received 100,000 shares of stock. His accusers were Byron Cook, who was a Republican state lawmaker until 2019, and Florida businessman Joel Hochberg.
Paxton said he intended to invest in Servergy, too, but the CEO would not let him, telling Paxton that "God doesn't want me to take your money."
He also is charged with a third-degree felony, accused of funneling clients to a friend's investment firm without being registered with the state. The Texas State Securities Board reprimanded and fined Paxton $1,000 for this failure to register in 2014.
If found guilty, Paxton could face two to 10 years in prison for the third-degree felony and five to 99 years for each of the first-degree felonies, as well as fines.
Paxton pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, saying the accusations were a partisan attack from Cook, whom, despite being a fellow Republican, Paxton once called a "political adversary." A past spokesman said the registration issue was "fully resolved" by the securities board.
Paxton successfully fought federal civil fraud charges arising from these same allegations twice.
2. Who is presiding over the fraud case and where?
Four different judges have presided over Paxton's securities fraud case in the past six years.
The first, Collin County District Court Judge Chris Oldner, a Republican, recused himself in 2015. Paxton's lawyers then successfully ousted the next judge, Tarrant County Republican George Gallagher, in May 2017. Gallagher had just months before ordered the case moved from Collin to Harris County, a major blow to the attorney general.
Prosecutors argued such a venue change was necessary because a local jury might be biased in favor of Paxton, who has lived in McKinney for years and is well-known in Collin County. They accused Paxton loyalists in North Texas of trying to derail the prosecution, describing their efforts as a "crusade" on the attorney general's behalf.
After the case was moved, it was randomly assigned to Harris County District Court Judge Robert Johnson, a Democrat, in mid-2017. Earlier this month, however, Johnson sided with Paxton's lawyers and ruled the case should be moved back to Collin County.
After handing Paxton this major victory, Johnson recused himself from the case. The attorney general's office is now representing Johnson in a lawsuit challenging the region's cash bail system. According to Johnson's recusal notice, "the judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned" if he continued to preside over Paxton's case.
Harris County District Court Judge Jason Luong, a Democrat, got the case next but not for long.
First, Paxton attempted to remove Luong, arguing he too was also being represented by the attorney general's office in the same bail case. However, the court found Luong the fourth judge to preside over the case need not step down.
The prosecutors appealed Johnson's decision to move the case back to Collin County in July 2020. At the end of the month, the 1st Court of Appeals in Harris County abated Johnson's ruling, giving Luong a chance to revisit his decision.
In October, Luong agreed with his predecessor and Paxton that the case should be moved back to Collin County. But the prosecutors quickly moved to halt the change of venue decision. They lost their first try earlier this summer, after a Houston appeals court upheld Luong's ruling that the case belongs back in Collin County, but asked the full court to weigh in.
In June 2023, the appeals court ruled the trials could be held in Harris County.

---

Exactly. How strong is an indictment when it takes 8 years to get to court?
Answer: Voters have elected him twice since this indictment, because they correctly determined the indictment was political.

When a Harris County Democrat judge sends the case back to Collin County, it's pretty much telling you the case is BS.

---

Why are you pretending the impeachment is solely based on the securities fraud case?

The reason he is being tried today is the alleged favors to Nate Paul.

Frank Galvin said:

---

whiterock said:

---

Osodecentx said:

---

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/07/27/texas-ag-ken-paxton-was-indicted-for-fraud-5-years-ago-will-he-ever-face-a-jury/

Texas AG Ken Paxton was indicted for fraud nearly eight years ago. He hasn't faced a jury

The case against Paxton, a Republican, has been delayed multiple times since he was indicted months into his first term. He now faces an unrelated House ethics investigation into allegations of abuse of office.

Paxton's alleged crimes date back to his time as a state lawmaker. He represented parts of Collin County in the Texas House for 10 years before winning a seat in the Texas Senate in November 2012. He was elected attorney general two years later and indicted seven months into his first term.
He is charged with two first-degree felonies over allegations that he persuaded friends to invest in a McKinney technology company called Servergy Inc. without telling them he received 100,000 shares of stock. His accusers were Byron Cook, who was a Republican state lawmaker until 2019, and Florida businessman Joel Hochberg.
Paxton said he intended to invest in Servergy, too, but the CEO would not let him, telling Paxton that "God doesn't want me to take your money."
He also is charged with a third-degree felony, accused of funneling clients to a friend's investment firm without being registered with the state. The Texas State Securities Board reprimanded and fined Paxton $1,000 for this failure to register in 2014.
If found guilty, Paxton could face two to 10 years in prison for the third-degree felony and five to 99 years for each of the first-degree felonies, as well as fines.
Paxton pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, saying the accusations were a partisan attack from Cook, whom, despite being a fellow Republican, Paxton once called a "political adversary." A past spokesman said the registration issue was "fully resolved" by the securities board.
Paxton successfully fought federal civil fraud charges arising from these same allegations twice.
2. Who is presiding over the fraud case and where?
Four different judges have presided over Paxton's securities fraud case in the past six years.
The first, Collin County District Court Judge Chris Oldner, a Republican, recused himself in 2015. Paxton's lawyers then successfully ousted the next judge, Tarrant County Republican George Gallagher, in May 2017. Gallagher had just months before ordered the case moved from Collin to Harris County, a major blow to the attorney general.
Prosecutors argued such a venue change was necessary because a local jury might be biased in favor of Paxton, who has lived in McKinney for years and is well-known in Collin County. They accused Paxton loyalists in North Texas of trying to derail the prosecution, describing their efforts as a "crusade" on the attorney general's behalf.
After the case was moved, it was randomly assigned to Harris County District Court Judge Robert Johnson, a Democrat, in mid-2017. Earlier this month, however, Johnson sided with Paxton's lawyers and ruled the case should be moved back to Collin County.
After handing Paxton this major victory, Johnson recused himself from the case. The attorney general's office is now representing Johnson in a lawsuit challenging the region's cash bail system. According to Johnson's recusal notice, "the judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned" if he continued to preside over Paxton's case.
Harris County District Court Judge Jason Luong, a Democrat, got the case next but not for long.
First, Paxton attempted to remove Luong, arguing he too was also being represented by the attorney general's office in the same bail case. However, the court found Luong the fourth judge to preside over the case need not step down.
The prosecutors appealed Johnson's decision to move the case back to Collin County in July 2020. At the end of the month, the 1st Court of Appeals in Harris County abated Johnson's ruling, giving Luong a chance to revisit his decision.
In October, Luong agreed with his predecessor and Paxton that the case should be moved back to Collin County. But the prosecutors quickly moved to halt the change of venue decision. They lost their first try earlier this summer, after a Houston appeals court upheld Luong's ruling that the case belongs back in Collin County, but asked the full court to weigh in.
In June 2023, the appeals court ruled the trials could be held in Harris County.

---

Exactly. How strong is an indictment when it takes 8 years to get to court?
Answer: Voters have elected him twice since this indictment, because they correctly determined the indictment was political.

When a Harris County Democrat judge sends the case back to Collin County, it's pretty much telling you the case is BS.

---

Why are you pretending the impeachment is solely based on the securities fraud case?

The reason he is being tried today is the alleged favors to Nate Paul.

---

I'm responding to Oso, who brought up the issue. Perhaps you should address your question to him.

LOL. First count is in trouble

Houston attorney Tony Buzbee is humiliating the RINO’s star witness today at the Paxton impeachment trial. Beautiful. pic.twitter.com/n8wjB1MV7f

— The W&J Show w/ Kenny Webster (@WaltonNJohnson) September 6, 2023

Who is paying for all these high priced lawyers? Hardin, Buzbee et al?

After Buzbee notes that lead prosecutors Rusty Hardin and Dick DeGuerin - two legal legends - are only making $500 an hour, Mateer asks Buzbee: What's your rate?

Buzbee: "You'll find out soon enough."

— Robert Downen (@RobertDownen_) September 6, 2023

There are a lot of TLR tort reform Republicans on the "jury" who will be inherently alienated by buzbee, regardless of how he performs.

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" - Hebrews 12: 1-2 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ULo9aEc7am

— Senator Angela Paxton (@AngelaPaxtonTX) September 6, 2023

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is currently suspended from office, sends fundraising email on Day Two of his impeachment trial.

"With your help, I can be back in office by the end of the month."#txlege pic.twitter.com/E1AKTD3qTT

— Lauren McGaughy 🌟 (@lmcgaughy) September 6, 2023

This lawyer on the staff of defense counsel of Paxton is jumping up every two minutes to "object" lol. He has been admonished by Patrick a couple of times but he pays no attention. I think he aggravates Patrick.

said:

---

This lawyer on the staff of defense counsel of Paxton is jumping up every two minutes to "object" lol. He has been admonished by Patrick a couple of times but he pays no attention. I think he aggravates Patrick.

---

boognish_bear said:

---

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" - Hebrews 12: 1-2 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ULo9aEc7am

— Senator Angela Paxton (@AngelaPaxtonTX) September 6, 2023

---

This is the type of Christian BS that turns so many off. Public display of hypocrisiy. If you want a better example it would be the latest witness, Ryan Bangert.

Ken Paxton’s attorney Tony Buzbee began Thursday with a peculiar accusation: That the media has been doctoring photos to make him appear more “tan.” https://t.co/imFE6VAEn3

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 7, 2023

whiterock said:

---

Frank Galvin said:

---

whiterock said:

---

Osodecentx said:

---

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/07/27/texas-ag-ken-paxton-was-indicted-for-fraud-5-years-ago-will-he-ever-face-a-jury/

Texas AG Ken Paxton was indicted for fraud nearly eight years ago. He hasn't faced a jury

The case against Paxton, a Republican, has been delayed multiple times since he was indicted months into his first term. He now faces an unrelated House ethics investigation into allegations of abuse of office.

Paxton's alleged crimes date back to his time as a state lawmaker. He represented parts of Collin County in the Texas House for 10 years before winning a seat in the Texas Senate in November 2012. He was elected attorney general two years later and indicted seven months into his first term.
He is charged with two first-degree felonies over allegations that he persuaded friends to invest in a McKinney technology company called Servergy Inc. without telling them he received 100,000 shares of stock. His accusers were Byron Cook, who was a Republican state lawmaker until 2019, and Florida businessman Joel Hochberg.
Paxton said he intended to invest in Servergy, too, but the CEO would not let him, telling Paxton that "God doesn't want me to take your money."
He also is charged with a third-degree felony, accused of funneling clients to a friend's investment firm without being registered with the state. The Texas State Securities Board reprimanded and fined Paxton $1,000 for this failure to register in 2014.
If found guilty, Paxton could face two to 10 years in prison for the third-degree felony and five to 99 years for each of the first-degree felonies, as well as fines.
Paxton pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, saying the accusations were a partisan attack from Cook, whom, despite being a fellow Republican, Paxton once called a "political adversary." A past spokesman said the registration issue was "fully resolved" by the securities board.
Paxton successfully fought federal civil fraud charges arising from these same allegations twice.
2. Who is presiding over the fraud case and where?
Four different judges have presided over Paxton's securities fraud case in the past six years.
The first, Collin County District Court Judge Chris Oldner, a Republican, recused himself in 2015. Paxton's lawyers then successfully ousted the next judge, Tarrant County Republican George Gallagher, in May 2017. Gallagher had just months before ordered the case moved from Collin to Harris County, a major blow to the attorney general.
Prosecutors argued such a venue change was necessary because a local jury might be biased in favor of Paxton, who has lived in McKinney for years and is well-known in Collin County. They accused Paxton loyalists in North Texas of trying to derail the prosecution, describing their efforts as a "crusade" on the attorney general's behalf.
After the case was moved, it was randomly assigned to Harris County District Court Judge Robert Johnson, a Democrat, in mid-2017. Earlier this month, however, Johnson sided with Paxton's lawyers and ruled the case should be moved back to Collin County.
After handing Paxton this major victory, Johnson recused himself from the case. The attorney general's office is now representing Johnson in a lawsuit challenging the region's cash bail system. According to Johnson's recusal notice, "the judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned" if he continued to preside over Paxton's case.
Harris County District Court Judge Jason Luong, a Democrat, got the case next but not for long.
First, Paxton attempted to remove Luong, arguing he too was also being represented by the attorney general's office in the same bail case. However, the court found Luong the fourth judge to preside over the case need not step down.
The prosecutors appealed Johnson's decision to move the case back to Collin County in July 2020. At the end of the month, the 1st Court of Appeals in Harris County abated Johnson's ruling, giving Luong a chance to revisit his decision.
In October, Luong agreed with his predecessor and Paxton that the case should be moved back to Collin County. But the prosecutors quickly moved to halt the change of venue decision. They lost their first try earlier this summer, after a Houston appeals court upheld Luong's ruling that the case belongs back in Collin County, but asked the full court to weigh in.
In June 2023, the appeals court ruled the trials could be held in Harris County.

---

Exactly. How strong is an indictment when it takes 8 years to get to court?
Answer: Voters have elected him twice since this indictment, because they correctly determined the indictment was political.

When a Harris County Democrat judge sends the case back to Collin County, it's pretty much telling you the case is BS.

---

Why are you pretending the impeachment is solely based on the securities fraud case?

The reason he is being tried today is the alleged favors to Nate Paul.

---

I'm responding to Oso, who brought up the issue. Perhaps you should address your question to him.

---

Not really. Oso had been quotng reports on the Nate Paul stuff and you argued that the criminal justice process should play out first. He then posted a report about the securities fraud case.

Regardless, do you think it was ethical for Ken Paxton to have his mistress on the payroll of one of his biggest donors? To use the OAG to benefit that donor? To get special favors on his house construction from that donor?

If those are the facts, you still think Ken Paxton deserves to be our AG?

Ryan Vassar, the former deputy AG for legal counsel, tears up when asked about Ken Paxton referring to him as a “rogue employee.”

“The statement of being rogue is contrary to the years that I dedicated my life to the state.” https://t.co/2kW2fOu9Yw pic.twitter.com/WKab2Zkc9w

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 7, 2023

Witness #3 is weak. Defensive lawyers will have field day confusing him.

I WANT A CAMERA CREW ON THIS LAWYER EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY THE COUNSELOR IS ENTERTAINMENT GOLD https://t.co/pAutPI7H7w

— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) September 7, 2023

Hardly.

While Ken Paxton’s former assistant was going to the FBI and the governors office, George P. Bush was reactivating his law license.

“There are no coincidences in Austin…” #txlege pic.twitter.com/gJYLmch5wu

— Brandon Waltens (@bwaltens) September 6, 2023

A potentially watershed moment in the first week of Ken Paxton's impeachment trial: Ken Paxton's defense attorney just asked if they KNEW Paxton committed a crime.

Vassar: "We had no evidence that we could point to but we had reasonable conclusions that we could draw." #txlege

— Lauren McGaughy 🌟 (@lmcgaughy) September 7, 2023

Frank Galvin said:

---

whiterock said:

---

Frank Galvin said:

---

whiterock said:

---

Osodecentx said:

---

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/07/27/texas-ag-ken-paxton-was-indicted-for-fraud-5-years-ago-will-he-ever-face-a-jury/

Texas AG Ken Paxton was indicted for fraud nearly eight years ago. He hasn't faced a jury

The case against Paxton, a Republican, has been delayed multiple times since he was indicted months into his first term. He now faces an unrelated House ethics investigation into allegations of abuse of office.

Paxton's alleged crimes date back to his time as a state lawmaker. He represented parts of Collin County in the Texas House for 10 years before winning a seat in the Texas Senate in November 2012. He was elected attorney general two years later and indicted seven months into his first term.
He is charged with two first-degree felonies over allegations that he persuaded friends to invest in a McKinney technology company called Servergy Inc. without telling them he received 100,000 shares of stock. His accusers were Byron Cook, who was a Republican state lawmaker until 2019, and Florida businessman Joel Hochberg.
Paxton said he intended to invest in Servergy, too, but the CEO would not let him, telling Paxton that "God doesn't want me to take your money."
He also is charged with a third-degree felony, accused of funneling clients to a friend's investment firm without being registered with the state. The Texas State Securities Board reprimanded and fined Paxton $1,000 for this failure to register in 2014.
If found guilty, Paxton could face two to 10 years in prison for the third-degree felony and five to 99 years for each of the first-degree felonies, as well as fines.
Paxton pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, saying the accusations were a partisan attack from Cook, whom, despite being a fellow Republican, Paxton once called a "political adversary." A past spokesman said the registration issue was "fully resolved" by the securities board.
Paxton successfully fought federal civil fraud charges arising from these same allegations twice.
2. Who is presiding over the fraud case and where?
Four different judges have presided over Paxton's securities fraud case in the past six years.
The first, Collin County District Court Judge Chris Oldner, a Republican, recused himself in 2015. Paxton's lawyers then successfully ousted the next judge, Tarrant County Republican George Gallagher, in May 2017. Gallagher had just months before ordered the case moved from Collin to Harris County, a major blow to the attorney general.
Prosecutors argued such a venue change was necessary because a local jury might be biased in favor of Paxton, who has lived in McKinney for years and is well-known in Collin County. They accused Paxton loyalists in North Texas of trying to derail the prosecution, describing their efforts as a "crusade" on the attorney general's behalf.
After the case was moved, it was randomly assigned to Harris County District Court Judge Robert Johnson, a Democrat, in mid-2017. Earlier this month, however, Johnson sided with Paxton's lawyers and ruled the case should be moved back to Collin County.
After handing Paxton this major victory, Johnson recused himself from the case. The attorney general's office is now representing Johnson in a lawsuit challenging the region's cash bail system. According to Johnson's recusal notice, "the judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned" if he continued to preside over Paxton's case.
Harris County District Court Judge Jason Luong, a Democrat, got the case next but not for long.
First, Paxton attempted to remove Luong, arguing he too was also being represented by the attorney general's office in the same bail case. However, the court found Luong the fourth judge to preside over the case need not step down.
The prosecutors appealed Johnson's decision to move the case back to Collin County in July 2020. At the end of the month, the 1st Court of Appeals in Harris County abated Johnson's ruling, giving Luong a chance to revisit his decision.
In October, Luong agreed with his predecessor and Paxton that the case should be moved back to Collin County. But the prosecutors quickly moved to halt the change of venue decision. They lost their first try earlier this summer, after a Houston appeals court upheld Luong's ruling that the case belongs back in Collin County, but asked the full court to weigh in.
In June 2023, the appeals court ruled the trials could be held in Harris County.

---

Exactly. How strong is an indictment when it takes 8 years to get to court?
Answer: Voters have elected him twice since this indictment, because they correctly determined the indictment was political.

When a Harris County Democrat judge sends the case back to Collin County, it's pretty much telling you the case is BS.

---

Why are you pretending the impeachment is solely based on the securities fraud case?

The reason he is being tried today is the alleged favors to Nate Paul.

---

I'm responding to Oso, who brought up the issue. Perhaps you should address your question to him.

---

Not really. Oso had been quotng reports on the Nate Paul stuff and you argued that the criminal justice process should play out first. He then posted a report about the securities fraud case.

Regardless, do you think it was ethical for Ken Paxton to have his mistress on the payroll of one of his biggest donors? To use the OAG to benefit that donor? To get special favors on his house construction from that donor?

If those are the facts, you still think Ken Paxton deserves to be our AG?

---

Yes, really. Oso tossed in the subject from the left field bleachers and, notably, my response did not connect them to the impeachment. I stand by my previous observations that perhaps it would be more prudent to both Paxton and the majority of Texans who have elected him to office to wait for a conviction before moving to impeach.

You are treating allegation as fact, when in this case many of them, including apparently some of the seminal ones, seem to be little more than unsubstantiated allegation:

As you watch this clip, remember that neither Ryan Vasser nor any of his fellow co-conspirators in the coup against @TxAG @KenPaxtonTX were ever under oath by the FBI or the #TxLege House’s secret investigators.

Here he is, today, having to finally testify under oath… NO… https://t.co/D9MsfO8mri

— Michael Quinn Sullivan 🇺🇸 (@MQSullivan) September 8, 2023

I hope Rusty got a good nights sleep and is much better today today then yesterday

Ryan Vassar is a disaster. He may save crooked Paxton yet.

We are having two related discussions: (1) whether impeachment is appropriate given that Paxton was recently re-elected and (2) if impeachment is approriate, is the evidence sufficent to convict him?

As to the first issue, it is a good question. My view is that the Texas Constitution expressly grants the power of impeachment. If one says "just let the people decide," Article 15 becomes useless. Next is the idea that there is much greater likelihood that politicians will be held accountable for unethical conduct in an impeachment trial than in an election, particularly in a one-party state. In a trial, the issues and facts are defined and distilled in a way that simply does not happen in a down ballot race. Finally, the people still will have their say. If the electorate does not like the way their rep or senator voted on an impeachment issue, they can express themselves in the next election cycle.

As to the "just allegations" argument, your real point is that we have not seen the smoking gun yet. It is undisputed that Nate Paul is one of Paxton's biggest financial supporters and a personal friend. It is undisputed that Paxton was having an affair. It is undisputed that Paul gave Paxton's mistress a job. It is undisputed that Paxton-against the unanimous advice of his hand-picked and otherwise loyal top aides-used the AG office in ways that benefitted Paul. Those aren't "allegations," they are facts. What we don't have is the "quid pro quo" to quote from another impeachment case. And my guess is that there never was an explicit agreement between Paul and Paxton. Just back scratching to an unusal degree and in an unusal context.

Politicians do favors for friends and supporters all the time. What makes this case different? It involves the criminal justice system, which in my mind is different than getting a sweetheart deal passed into law because legislative favors can be opposed but other politicians and their friends and supporters. Using the power of the state as one's personal law firm goes well beyond the sort of rough and tumble I am comfortable with in the political life of the state. It reeks and it devalues the AG's office in other proceedings. Moreover, most personal favors also at least arguably benefit other members of the public. I don't see how helping Nate Paul fend off federal inquiries into his shady deals helps anyone other than Nate Paul

Is it illegal? I don't know. But it does not have to be. Unlike the US Constitution, the Texas Constitution does not require a "high crime or misdemeanor" for impeachment. The power is basically to remove an office holder for the good of the state. To any thinking person, It is obvious that Ken Paxton used his office to help Nate Paul and he had a powerful personal motive beyond politics to do so. It stank so much that almost every staunch conservative in his office, hand picked by him for their roles, objected. Paxton then illegally retaliated to those objections, costing Texas over $3,000,000.00. The absence of evidence of a handshake where Paxton agreed to protect Paul in exchange for Paul giving the mistress a job and maybe giving Paxton a deal on home reno does not change anythng for me.

Thats really all I need to know. If I was senator I would vote to convict for the good of the state. If a colleague voted to acquit I would understand that too.

A Texas Monthly writer hilariously signed up for posting support for Paxton on social media. Paxton's team offered $50 if you would post positives. The writer made two posts and instantly earned $100.

.@DanPatrick notes Paxton's side has about 16 hours left and the House has about 15 and a half hours left. So by the end of today, we're "likely past the halfway mark." (Each side gets 24 hours to present evidence.) #txlege

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) September 8, 2023