Paxton Calls For Speaker Phelan To Resign Amid Texas House Investigation Into AG
AUSTIN (CBSNewsTexas.com) – On Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called on House Speaker Dade Phelan to resign after accusing him of presiding over the House while intoxicated.
Paxton tweeted a statement at 3 p.m. Monday saying, "...Texans were dismayed to witness his performance presiding over the Texas House in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication.. While I hope Speaker Phelan will get the help he needs, he has proven himself unworthy of Texans' trust and incapable of leading the Texas House."
Paxton also sent the House General Investigating Committee a letter demanding they look into Phelan's conduct. "...I am calling upon the Committee to open investigation into Speaker Phelan for violation of House rules, state law, and for conduct unbecoming his position."
Paxton was referring to Speaker Phelan's appearance Friday night while members debated legislation.
The video clips from that night came directly from the live Texas House feed. Conservatives began circulating the video clip of Phelan on social media over the weekend.
After Paxton's statement, the House General Investigating Committee revealed a letter it sent to Paxton Tuesday telling him, "The House 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."
The House committee also directed Paxton to save all communications between his office and anyone else involved in the proposed settlement. "You, your employees, our agents, and any other persons or entities over whom you exercise care, custody, or control are similarly notified to preserve all documents related to the termination of the whistleblowers and the alleged wrongful conduct engaged in by you and your office."
Speaker Phelan's Communications Director, Cait Wittman, said minutes from the House General Investigating Committee has been investigating Paxton's whistleblower case since March. "The motives for and timing behind Paxton's statement today couldn't be more evident. Mr. Paxton's statement today amounts to little more than a last ditch effort to save face."
The whistleblowers are Paxton's former top lieutenants in the Attorney General's Office.
They went to the FBI more than two and a half years ago making accusations of bribery and other potential crimes against Paxton.
The Attorney General fired them, calling them rogue employees. They filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the Attorney General's Office.
Paxton said he agreed to settle the case to save taxpayers money. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
In February, Phelan told CBS News Texas he didn't think taxpayers should pay to settle the whistleblower case. "I don't anticipate that $3.3 million dollars will be in the House budget. Mr. Paxton is going to have to come to the Texas House. He'll have to appear before the House Appropriations Committee and make the case to that committee as to why that is proper use of taxpayers' dollars and then he's going to have to sell it to 76 members of the Texas House. That's his job, not mine."
When asked why taxpayers shouldn't pay, Phelan said, "I don't think it's proper use of taxpayers' dollars."
Paxton also faces a trial on unrelated state fraud charges filed against him eight years ago.
He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing in that case as well.
The feud between Phelan and Paxton comes during the last week of the regular legislative session, and lawmakers still have to pass a budget and many other priority bills by Monday.