Comments on the Impeachment Trial of Warren Kenneth Paxton, Jr. Verdict

“On September 5th, my Senate colleagues and I convened to faithfully follow our Constitutional duty to take up the Texas House of Representatives’ Articles of Impeachment against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for trial in the Senate. The gravity of this situation and the duty entrusted to me by the people of Senate District 22 as their elected Senator is something I did not take lightly.

“The power of impeachment is a vital check in the balance of power between the branches of government. Consequently, each senator swore an oath at the start of the trial to do impartial justice according to the law and the evidence.  It was for that reason that I voted against all but one of the motions to dismiss articles to proceed to trial on opening day because I believed it was our duty as Senators to give Attorney General Paxton a fair and just trial. Only after hearing the evidence provided by the prosecution and Attorney General Paxton’s defense team would we be able to render a carefully deliberated judgment on the Articles of Impeachment.

“I gave this matter, as I do my faith in the Constitutions of Texas and the United States of America, the solemnity it deserved. After hearing the evidence provided by both sides, I made my decision to vote against the removal of Ken Paxton as Attorney General of Texas. The witnesses – under direct and cross examination from both sides of counsel – provided sufficient reasonable doubt concerning the charges laid out in the Articles of Impeachment, and did not meet the standard required to remove Mr. Paxton from office.”

Brian Birdwell
Senate District 22
September 20, 2023