Defense attorneys fire back against allegations and evidence
Texas Tribune
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/05/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-live-updates/In a fiery response to the House impeachment managers’ opening statements, Ken Paxton’s lawyer Tony Buzbee argued that “this whole case is a whole lot of nothing.”
In a nearly hour-long speech, Buzbee and defense attorney Dan Cogdell made sweeping promises that he and his legal team will disprove accusations in the impeachment articles by showing photos of home renovations and documents that refute allegations, including that Paxton’s political donor Nate Paul paid for his home renovations, and claiming there is no evidence that Paxton used burner phones or secret emails to communicate, as alleged by the House managers.
Paxton’s lawyers also said many of the allegations are based on assumptions that will be disproven — and vowed that there is not enough evidence on any count to prove the attorney general’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Buzbee criticized the media and the gag order imposed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick that prevented Paxton and his lawyers from responding to allegations and media reports leading up to the trial.
He and Cogdell also made a political argument that if the Senate votes to impeach and remove Paxton from office, they are undermining the will of the voters who elected him, while detailing Paxton’s conservative record as attorney general.
“What happens here will have consequences no matter how it turns out,” Buzbee said. “If this misguided effort is successful, which I am confident it will not be, the precedent would be perilous for any elected official.”
— Kate McGee
