Texas Scorecard by Brandon Waltens | September 16, 2023
“An impeachment should never happen again in the House like it happened this year,” said Patrick.After the Texas Senate voted to acquit Attorney General Ken Paxton on all charges of impeachment, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had strong words for the House who brought the charges forward.
Patrick, who presided over the proceedings, had been silent on the merits of the case until after the decision. Once it was final, Patrick offered comments that blasted the House’s process in an effort to ensure it didn’t happen again.
“In the past, the target of the investigation was notified and invited to attend with counsel and given the opportunity to cross examine witnesses that were placed under oath before testimony was taken. At the conclusion of past House investigations, the evidence was laid out for weeks for House members to evaluate before they took their vote on articles of impeachment,” said Patrick.
In contrast, House members were given 48 hours notice before their vote impeach Paxton in May.
“In the next regular session, we must amend the Texas Constitution on the issue of impeachment, because the way the constitution is currently written allowed this flawed process to happen this year.,” said Patrick. “Any testimony given in a House impeachment investigation must be given under oath and the target must be allowed to be present with a lawyer to cross examine the witnesses. Otherwise, people can say anything without any accountability or need to be truthful because there is no threat of perjury.”
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/dan-patrick-condemns-houses-impeachment-of-ken-paxton-calls-for-full-audit/
