Texas House committee explains months-long investigation into Attorney General Ken Paxton
AUSTIN (CBSNewsTexas) - The Texas House General Investigating Committee met Monday morning to discuss their months-long investigation into allegations made against Attorney General Ken Paxton by his former top appointed staffers.
The allegations, first made in the fall of 2020 and subject of an ongoing federal investigation, have now formally come into question by Texas lawmakers.
The House committee had the four experienced prosecutors who investigated Paxton lay out their findings. Their probe began in March, weeks after Paxton said he settled a whistleblower lawsuit by four of his top staffers against his office for $3.3 million dollars and he requested taxpayers foot the bill.
The lead investigator, attorney Erin Epley told the committee, "This agreement was made prior to approval from the Texas Legislature, yet the settlement obligated the taxpayers of Texas, not General Paxton, to pay the $3.3 million for a settlement related to his actions."
Paxton fired the whistleblowers after they went to the FBI two and a half years ago, making allegations of bribery against Paxton involving a man who donated $25,000 to his campaign.
Paxton hasn't been charged and the federal investigation is continuing. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Investigators for the House committee explained the settlement would prevent a trial and keep details of the allegations against Paxton out of public view.
"The General Investigating committee empowered us to conduct an inquiry," said Epley. "That inquiry was into the settlement itself, the issues related to the lawsuit and to make an inquiry into the polices and actions of the OAG in 2020."
News of the House investigation came after Paxton accused Phelan Tuesday of being intoxicated late Friday night while presiding over the House session. He referred to a video clip that conservatives had circulated on social media.
Paxton tweeted a statement Tuesday afternoon that read in part: "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."
In response, Phelan's Communications Director Cait Wittman issued a statement that said: "The motives for and timing behind Paxton's statement today couldn't be more evident" and that it "amounts to little more than a last ditch effort to save face."
CBS News Texas political reporter Jack Fink reached out to the Attorney General's Office seeking comment about the House committee's investigation into Paxton, but haven't heard back.
The group, Public Citizen Texas is calling on Paxton to resign or for the legislature to remove him.
The House committee released many details during Wednesday's meeting, which lasted more than three hours.
Paxton told Dallas conservative radio talk show host Mark Davis Wednesday morning that he's shocked by the investigation by the Republican-majority Texas House. He also said his office settles cases all the time and that he knew the legislature may not want to use taxpayer money to pay for settling the case.
In an interview with CBS News Texas in February, Speaker Phelan said he was personally opposed to using taxpayer money for that.
"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."
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