Texas Senate acquits Attorney General Ken Paxton

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Texas senators on Saturday found Paxton not guilty of 16 articles of impeachment. During closing arguments Friday, prosecutors said Paxton committed bribery and corruption, while Paxton’s lawyers said the case was based on circumstantial evidence. The Texas House impeachment managers called more than a dozen witnesses, and the defense called four to testify over eight days of testimony.

What happens now? Paxton will resume his office as Texas attorney general. He had been suspended since late May when the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach him. He would have been removed from office if the state Senate had found him guilty of any of the articles. The FBI is still investigating Paxton on charges of criminal securities fraud.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson’s report in Relations about Paxton’s defense of a state regulatory effort to protect minors from medical attempts to change their sex traits.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.