Texas Senate acquits Attorney General Ken Paxton

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.