Patrick Son Not on Team Probing Paxton
as AG Seeks to Turn Base Against Phelan
Capitol Inside
May 24, 2023
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick's son is not on the team of Texas House investigators who accused Attorney General Ken Paxton of inappropriate conduct on Wednesday despite reports to the contrary after a committee meeting this morning.
The confusion stemmed from remarks that GOP State Rep. Andrew Murr of Junction made today as the chairman of the General Investigating Committee that focused on Paxton at an explosive hearing that appeared to be the springboard for impeachment proceedings against the Republican attorney general.
Murr mentioned that Ryan Patrick had hired the panel's chief investigator - Erin Epley - as an assistant when he was serving as a federal prosecutor. But Murr did not say that the Texas Senate president's son was in the group of lawyers that Epley is leading in the case against Paxton as previously reported here and in other mainstream media publications.
The younger Patrick's inclusion on the investigating team would have been a highly significant development in light of the fact that he could end up presiding over a trial if the House votes to impeach the state's top lawyer as a consequence of his dealings with an Austin real estate executive and several former assistants who are plaintiffs in a whistleblower lawsuit against Paxton.
Paxton raised the specter of possible impeachment charges against him the House on Wednesday when he accused GOP Speaker Dade Phelan of rigging an investigation into his affairs with Democrats in an attempt to dupe conservative voters. After calling for Phelan's resignation on Tuesday amid allegations of drunkeness on the job, Paxton escalated his attacks in the tweet that sought to turn the conservative base against the Beaumont Republican who's in the midst of his second term in the dais.
"The liberal leadership of the Texas House has routinely killed conservative legislation including important bills that would help secure our border and protect the integrity of our elections," Paxton contended. "They have demonstrated nothing but contempt for the traditional values of conservative Texans. It is not surprising that a committee appointed by liberal Speaker Dade Phelan would seek to disenfranchise Texas voters and sabotage by work as Attorney General."
The AG predicted that he'd be vindicated in the final analysis. "The false testimony of highly partisan Democratic lawyers with the goal of manipulating and misleading the public is reprehensible," Paxton said. "Every allegation is easily disproved, and I look forward to continuing my fight for conservative Texas values."
more to come ... |
