The case against Ken Paxton, a nationally prominent conservative politician, was overseen by a board of managers from the state’s House, led by Republicans, and it played out at times as a contest over how much Republican politics should matter in the proceedings.
The House lawmakers approached the case like a criminal trial, appointing a prominent Houston lawyer, Rusty Hardin, who methodically elicited testimony over seven days from 15 witnesses who were mostly senior aides to Mr. Paxton.
In a nod to the politics looming in the background, the prosecutors also frequently sought to highlight the staunchly conservative backgrounds of the witnesses against Mr. Paxton.
Part of the reason for doing so is the nature of the jury pool: The voting senators included 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats.
But it also reflected efforts by the conservative wing of the party to attack the impeachment as a political plot put forward by lobbyists, RINOs — Republicans in name only — and Democrats in Austin.
Persons:
Ken Paxton, Rusty Hardin, Paxton, RINOs
Organizations:
state’s, Republicans
Locations:
Houston, Austin
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