The Texan Podcast

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Show off your Lone Star spirit with a free Gonzales Flag t-shirt with an annual subscription to The Texan: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/
 
The Texan’s Weekly Roundup brings you the latest news in Texas politics, breaking down the top stories of the week with our team of reporters who give you the facts so you can form your own opinion. Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review! 
 
Got questions for the reporting team? Email [email protected] — they just might be answered on a future podcast. 
 
This week on The Texan’s Weekly Roundup, the team discusses: 

• Rep. Kevin McCarthy as the first speaker of the House in U.S. history to be ousted in a vote
• A lack of additional funding for border security in the U.S. House’s stopgap funding measure
• A Texas congressman claiming he will nominate Donald Trump for speaker of the House
• Texas’ school choice and border security-focused special session set to begin Monday, October 9
• Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas waiving federal laws to construct barriers on the border
• 26 state attorneys general questioning Pornhub over a supposed ‘loophole’ in its verification system
• The police footage of Sen. Charles Schwertner’s DWI arrest in February
• A Kerr County commissioner being removed from office for his prior felony record
• A Texas law over social media content moderation on the docket of the U.S. Supreme Court
• The Texas Supreme Court preparing to hear arguments in a “public nuisance” case over the smell from chicken farms

Show off your Lone Star spirit with a free Texas flag hat with an annual subscription to The Texan: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/
 
The Texan’s Weekly Roundup brings you the latest news in Texas politics, breaking down the top stories of the week with our team of reporters who give you the facts so you can form your own opinion. Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review! 
 
Got questions for the reporting team? Email [email protected] — they just might be answered on a future podcast. 
 
This week on The Texan’s Weekly Roundup, the team discusses: 

• Comptroller Glenn Hegar telling Attorney General Ken Paxton to petition the Texas Supreme Court for his back pay
• The “whistleblowers” who accused Paxton of corruption doubling down following his acquittal
• A federal judge ruling that drag shows do not necessarily fall under First Amendment-protected “expressive conduct”
• A federal judge ruling that Texas’ ban on drag shows with minors in attendance is unconstitutional
• Abbott saying the special session agenda could include cracking down on illegal immigrant “colonies”
• Two elected local officials in Texas with felony convictions fighting to keep their offices
• Dueling lawsuits over a Houston high school student disciplined for violating the school district’s hair length policy
• General Electric suing a Texas recycling company over its dumping wind turbine blades in Sweetwater
• Laura Maczka Jordan and Mark Jordan’s bribery and fraud convictions upheld in appeals court
• Sturm, Ruger and Co. writing a letter to Texas lawmakers over alleged discrimination from Wells Fargo

And more.

Want to support reporting on Texas politics that doesn’t include the spin? Subscribe at https://thetexan.news/subscribe/

Judge Michelle Slaughter of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals joined The Texan’s reporter Matt Stringer to discuss the court’s 2021 decision that held that a state statute allowing the Texas attorney general to prosecute violations of election law was unconstitutional.

The decision has seen renewed interest, with Attorney General Ken Paxton criticizing it during a recent interview on the Tucker Carlson Show.

Slaughter, who joined the court’s 8 to 1 opinion, dissented when the Court of Criminal Appeals later denied a request to reconsider the matter.

“Despite the many misleading and false statements made in several of the briefs filed in this case, I do support a rehearing. To be clear, my position is not based on anything raised by the parties or amici but is instead based upon my own in-depth analysis of Texas history and the law,” Slaughter wrote in her 73-page dissent.

In her interview with The Texan, Slaughter explained the details of the case that was before the state’s top court for criminal cases and her reasoning for joining the majority in the decision. 

“It is a judge’s job to apply the law, to apply it strictly as it’s written in its plain language and what that language meant at the time it was written and enacted,” said Slaughter. 

She discussed how the court reached its conclusion by pointing to the separation of powers between the executive and judicial branches of government, with the Office of the Attorney General under the former and district attorneys under the latter. 

“With our express separation of powers provision, it does not allow the legislature to take a duty that is expressly constitutionally assigned to an officer in one department and give that duty to an officer in a different department,” said Slaughter. 

Slaughter also explained her unique nuance in her dissenting opinion, contending that the no party had argued the difference between facial constitutionality and constitutional as applied, a distinction that might provide a way for the attorney general to prosecute criminal cases when a district attorney expressly declines to fulfill constitutional duties.

Read more about the impeachment: https://thetexan.news/paxton_impeachment/

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick joined The Texan’s senior reporter Hayden Sparks to discuss the recent acquittal of Attorney General Ken Paxton.

“There is some truth in this, that it was orchestrated from the beginning and that members were coerced to vote. That’s true — in the House,” said Patrick. “Not in the Senate. It was the House.”

Discussing his remarks at the end of the trial when he sharply criticized the way the House acted during the impeachment process, Patrick explained, “The reason I made my remarks on the dais before I adjourned was this: it needed to be in the historic record because 50 or 100 or 150 years from now, no legislator is going to come back and look at this interview or any other interview I’ve done or any TV interview that anyone’s done.”

“We weren’t perfect, but I wanted history to reflect that this House under this speaker, under that investigative committee, they totally ignored past precedent, totally ignored due process, totally ignored fairness,” said Patrick.

In addition to discussing the process of the impeachment trial, Patrick also weighed in on the political ramifications and how the trial might affect elections next year.

Show off your Lone Star spirit with a free Texas flag hat with an annual subscription to The Texan: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/
 
The Texan’s Weekly Roundup brings you the latest news in Texas politics, breaking down the top stories of the week with our team of reporters who give you the facts so you can form your own opinion. Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review! 
 
Got questions for the reporting team? Email [email protected] — they just might be answered on a future podcast. 
 
This week on The Texan’s Weekly Roundup, the team discusses: 

• The long-standing feud between Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
• Attorney General Ken Paxton’s appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show
• The mayor of Eagle Pass declaring an emergency after thousands of illegal immigrants cross into the city
• A new military manufacturing plant in Mesquite that plans to produce artillery for Ukraine
• Patrick calling for a formal audit of the Paxton impeachment proceedings to determine how much it cost
• A Texas A&M professor criticizing the university after the botched hiring of Dr. Kathleen McElroy
• The Supreme Court of Texas hearing a reporter’s defamation case concerning “fundamental” First Amendment rights
• State Rep. Rhetta Bowers leaving the Texas House for a chance at a Dallas congressional seat
• Dallas ISD adopting a new after-school “Positive Prevention Plus” sex education program
• A Pasadena mechanic’s second lawsuit against the city after it reneged a settlement agreement
• The principal of Overton High School arrested after using corporal punishment on a student

Read more about the impeachment: https://thetexan.news/paxton_impeachment/

Welcome back to our final episode of Inside the Impeachment: Paxton on Trial.

Today, we debrief it all. We discuss what’s happened in Texas politics since Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted on all 16 articles of impeachment, what the biggest moments of the trial were, what the political ramifications will be going forward, and our top takeaways from the biggest two weeks in recent Texas political history. 

Enjoy this episode. 

Read more about the impeachment: https://thetexan.news/paxton_impeachment/

Today, the Senate voted on the 16 impeachment charges leveled against Attorney General Ken Paxton in an effort to convict and remove him from office by the Texas House.

Here’s a recap:

• Paxton was acquitted on all 16 articles of impeachment by the Texas Senate. 
• The House Board of Managers needed to convince 21 senators to sustain at least one of the charges. Most of the charges were dismissed by a vote of 14 to 16.
• After the votes were taken, Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) made a motion to dismiss the four articles of impeachment that were held in abeyance and not considered during the trial. The motion passed.
• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has been largely silent since the House impeached Paxton in May, took to the microphone after the vote and lambasted the Texas House for pursuing impeachment. 
• “Millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted on this impeachment. 31 Senators and a large Senate staff that made this trial possible have put their family life, jobs, and businesses on hold for 3 months after being here already from January to June,” said Patrick.
• Patrick announced that he would be conducting an audit to determine “all taxpayer money spent by the House from the beginning of their investigation in March to today.”
• Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) released a statement, “Over the last two weeks, the Texas House Board of Managers provided the Texas Senate and the people of Texas extensive evidence of Ken Paxton’s corruption, deception and self-dealing. It is extremely unfortunate that after hearing and evaluating this evidence, the Texas Senate chose not to remove him from office."
• In a press conference after the proceedings, Rep. Andrew Murr (R-Junction), chairman of the House Board of Managers, was asked if in hindsight he would change the approach the House took in the trial. “I would not do anything differently,” said Murr.
• Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement commending the trial’s proceedings and the jury’s verdict, and said he looked forward to working with Paxton again in his role as attorney general. 

Read more about the impeachment: https://thetexan.news/paxton_impeachment/

Today, suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s defense team and the House Board of Managers gave their final arguments in the impeachment trial, and senators began their deliberations on the articles of impeachment.

Here’s a recap:

• For the first time since the first hours on day one of the trial, Ken Paxton attended the proceedings. He sat between his lawyers and listened to the closing arguments. 
• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick read, at the request of both parties, all the articles of impeachment to the jury of senators prior to the closing arguments. 
• “I have no idea how long the jury is going to deliberate. It could be hours, it could be days,” said Patrick. “Like any defendant, the attorney general is not required to prove he is innocent or produce any evidence at all.”
• The trial rules allow the House Board of Managers to divide up their hour-long allotment for an opening statement. Rep. Andrew Murr, chairman of the General Investigating Committee that brought the articles to the full Texas House of Representatives, gave a 10-minute opening statement. 
• “Paxton had hired the best and brightest to run his office,” said Murr, looking to reinforce the credibility of the whistleblowers the House Board of Managers called to testify.
• “The power of the [Office of the Attorney General] cannot and should not be handed over to a private citizen to be used to attack their perceived enemies,” Murr contended, referencing the allegations that Paxton used his office to benefit Austin real estate developer Nate Paul.
• Tony Buzbee, one of Paxton’s lawyers, then spoke for almost an hour, leaving about five minutes for his colleague Dan Cogdell to close. 
• “The Bush era in Texas ends today,” shouted Buzbee from the microphone at the front of the chamber. “We thought it had ended in the primary when Ken Paxton beat George P. Bush 68 to 32.”
• Buzbee alleged that Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) supported the impeachment because he “got his feelings hurt” and presided over the House chamber while intoxicated.
• Murr took to the microphone again and presented clips of testimony from the trial — including from whistleblowers like David Maxwell and Jeff Mateer — to combat Buzbee’s arguments and reiterate the case made by the House. 
• Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano), a member of the House Board of Managers who is from Collin County like the Paxtons, was the final speaker for the House. He said he had considered the attorney general a “brother in Christ,” “political mentor,” and friend. Buzbee objected to Leach’s speech, saying he was providing testimony. Leach was allowed to finish.
• Senators were then dismissed and began their deliberations behind closed doors without access to their phones, news coverage, or media.
• Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney) is barred from participating in the deliberations or voting on the articles of impeachment.

Show off your Lone Star spirit with a free Texas flag hat with an annual subscription to The Texan: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/
 
The Texan’s Weekly Roundup brings you the latest news in Texas politics, breaking down the top stories of the week with our team of reporters who give you the facts so you can form your own opinion. Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review! 
 
Got questions for the reporting team? Email [email protected] — they just might be answered on a future podcast. 
 
This week on The Texan’s Weekly Roundup, the team discusses: 

• A new political poll showing Texas Republicans’ “unwavering” support for Donald Trump
• Former President Donald Trump defending suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton during his impeachment trial
• An ERCOT program that pays industrial electricity users to shutter operations during grid stress
• A Texas senator requesting records from UT Tyler over a transgender tennis player on its women’s team
• The seventh Texas House seat opening after Rep. Carl Sherman announced he would not run for re-election
• Odessa passing a ban on private vaccine mandates as well as a tax increase
• Tesla asking for almost $100 million from the federal government to fund an EV semi-truck charger network
• The Patriot Voice suing a payment processing company for $18 million over a canceled contract
• Ten gang members or affiliates being arrested near Houston for sex trafficking of children
• Lubbock City Council and county commissioners court approving a tax increase for Fiscal Year 2023
• An upcoming “family-friendly” church drag show featuring the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” group<

Read more about the impeachment: https://thetexan.news/paxton_impeachment/

Today, suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s defense team called their first and last witnesses. The House Board of Managers errantly rested their case yesterday, yielding their authority to call witnesses, and today ended with the defense resting its case, as well.

Here’s a recap:

• The defense called Justin Gordon, the current open records division chief at the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), as their first witness to testify on law enforcement exceptions to open records law. Paxton is accused of abusing the open records process by allowing Austin real estate developer Nate Paul access to a confidential Department of Public Safety (DPS) file.
• Austin Kinghorn, the associate deputy attorney general for legal counsel at the OAG, was called to testify next. 
• Kinghorn expressed belief that no illegal activities occurred at the OAG — saying he would have left if he believed otherwise — and pride in serving under Ken Paxton.
• On cross examination, counsel for the House Board of Managers asked Kinghorn who his “client” is as an employee of the OAG. He responded that Paxton was, while counsel contended his client is the State of Texas.
• Henry De La Garza, the human resources director at the OAG, testified that the government, not an elected official, is the proper defendant under the Texas Whistleblower Act.
• De La Garza spoke of alleged insubordination from whistleblowers in their final days at the OAG, and testified that he supported the decisions made by First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster to terminate their employment.
• Grant Dorfman, deputy first assistant attorney general, joined the OAG after the whistleblowers had left the office. He said he knew of the controversy surrounding the office from news reports, and sat down with Webster to talk through his concerns. He was sufficiently put at ease after the conversation and accepted a job with the agency.
• Dorfman spoke extensively about his work on the whistleblower lawsuit and settlement, and explained the OAG’s approach to seeking a settlement instead of a jury trial.
• During cross examination, Dorfman conceded he does not have firsthand knowledge of whether the allegations found in the whistleblower lawsuit 
• Yesterday, the House Board of Managers aimed to amend the trial rules so Paxton would be automatically barred from running for Texas office in the future if the charges are sustained. Today, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced the motion was withdrawn.
• Tony Buzbee rested the case for the defense, and counsel for both sides agreed to begin their closing arguments at 9 a.m. tomorrow.