(The Center Square) – Texas state Rep. Andrew Murr, lead prosecutor in the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, presented his closing arguments Friday.
Murr, R-Junction, brought the impeachment charges against Paxton as the chair of the House General Investigating Committee.
Murr began by saying, “We found unprecedented corruption in the Office of Attorney General.” He played clips of testimony from key witnesses over the loudspeaker, including of former OAG staffers Jeff Mateer, Ryan Vassar, Mark Penley and David Maxwell. All were fired by Paxton except Mateer, who resigned. The staffers all went to the FBI alleging Paxton committed a crime. Vassar, Penley, and Maxwell were investigated and fired. They later sued, claiming they were whistle blowers and being fired violated the Whistleblower Act.
Theirs and others’ unsworn statements given to House GIC led to the House levying 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton, with four held in abeyance. The charges include bribery, abuse of public trust, being unfit for office, among others.
Murr listed “coincidences” that occurred to support his claims saying, “there are no coincidences in Austin.”
In cross examination, Jeff Mateer testified that he performed the actions the House claimed Paxton did in Article 1.
Also in cross examination, Mark Penley testified the staffers went to the FBI with only “circumstantial evidence;” they took no documents or evidence. He also testified that Paxton asking him to follow up on whether a search warrant had been altered wasn’t illegal, refuting charges brought by the House. He also admitted one reason he went to the FBI was because he was angry because he felt Paxton had “turned on him.”
Ryan Vassar testified during cross examination that he and other staffers went to the FBI alleging “illegal activity could occur” and “we had no evidence that we could point to” to support their accusation.
David Maxwell testified that Austin real estate developer Nate Paul and his attorney “obviously did not state they wanted a crime to be committed.” When asked if “two private citizens coming in and asking for an investigation into whether or not search warrants were illegally created is a crime,” he replied, “Following through on the investigation is a crime.” Paxton’s attorneys argued that investigating the legality of search warrants is not a crime; it’s what the House manager’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, and others do on a regular basis.
Paxton’s former aide, Drew Wicker, who was at the center of the House’s allegations, also refuted them. His claim about Paxton’s home renovations became the basis for the staffers complaint to the FBI alleging bribery and the basis for the House impeachment charges. He testified he had no evidence that Paxton took a bribe. He also said he hadn’t accused Paxton of accepting a bribe and that Paxton told him and that he and his insurance company were paying for the repairs.
Wicker also said, “My understanding is” the House managers “are supposed to provide evidence to support their charges” and that in a court of law in America, “you’re innocent until proven guilty.”
The testimony of Paxton’s former chief of staff Katherine “Missy” Cary’s and outside counsel Brandon Cammack also contradicted the House’s allegations. They said Paxton could legally sign a contract and the former staffers were involved in the hiring process. Austin Kinghorn, associate deputy attorney general for Legal Counsel testified that Paxton bringing settlement charges to the House was something he was required to do by law. Their testimonies refuted multiple charges levied by the House.
Murr pointed to Maxwell, saying he was a “man of honor, above reproach” who said because of Paxton he was “suddenly a liar, rogue, and a liability, and Paxton tossed him out like garbage.”
He told the senators, “If you don’t throw out Paxton, what he did to Maxwell could happen to us.”
Throughout Maxwell’s cross examination, he admitted he was pretending to not be able to hear the questions being asked of him as a tactic to “throw off” Paxton’s attorney. When asked “if the feds break into my house, break the door down, hold my wife at gunpoint, kick my dog, cut off my internet, search my house without a warrant and I want that crime to be investigated, you’re telling this jury with a straight face that that’s obstructing justice and interfering with a federal investigation? That’s your position?”
Maxwell replied what the feds did was lawful.
Senators began deliberations Friday afternoon. It is unclear when they will return for a verdict. If Paxton is convicted of any charge, he will be removed from office and prevented from holding office in Texas again.
