The impeachment trial of suspended Texas Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton on Friday faced a Senate jury deciding whether the Republican should be removed from office over corruption allegations that have dogged him for years. The deliberations pushed Paxton, whose three terms have been marred by scandals and

prosecution

closer to a decisive test of his political durability after an extraordinary impeachment

driven by his fellow Republicans

and has widened party rifts in America’s largest red state. For nearly a decade, Paxton raised his national profile by plunging his office into polarizing court battles across the US, winning the support of former President Trump and the far right of the Republican Party. With a final call to convict Texas’ top lawyer, impeachment managers, including some of Paxton’s former friends, have branded him a crook. The time has come, they argued, for the state and the Republican Party to part ways.

If we don’t stop government officials from abusing the powers of their office, then frankly no one can, said Republican State Rep. Andrew Murr, a member of the Texas House of Representatives’ bipartisan group of impeachment managers,

in his closing arguments. Texas Attorney General’s affair explains his illegal actions, former aide testifies at impeachment trial

If convicted, Paxton would become the first Texas official to be convicted of impeachment in more than a century.

In an angry and defiant rebuttal, Paxton attorney Tony Buzbee unleashed attacks on a wide range of figures inside and outside the Texas Capitol, mocking a Texas Ranger who warned Paxton he risked charges and another prosecutor who cried in the witness box.

Buzbee leaned on simmering divisions among Republicans and portrayed the impeachment as a plot orchestrated by an old guard of Republican rivals. He mentioned George P. Bush, the nephew of former President George W. Bush who challenged Paxton in the 2022 Republican primaries, and punctuated a blistering closing argument that questioned the integrity of FBI agents and railed against America’s most famous political dynasty Texas.

This is a political process, Buzbee said. “I would suggest to you that it is a political witch hunt.”

Paxton, who until Friday had attended only the first few hours of the trial, sat at the defense table and drank from a cup.

The impeachment trial of Texas AG Ken Paxton is in the hands of the Republicans who sided with him

His return did not go unnoticed.

He didn’t even bother to be here for the entire process, Murr said. It’s clear he thinks he can get away with this.

Across the room from Paxton sat his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, who was required to attend the entire trial but is not allowed to participate in deliberations or votes on her husband’s political fate.

In the Senate gallery were three former Paxton deputies

who reported him to the FBI in 2020

, accusing him of breaking the law to help Austin real estate developer Nate Paul. All three ex-deputies tested, including former Texas Ranger, David Maxwell. Their whistleblower accounts launched an FBI investigation that will continue regardless of the verdict. Federal prosecutors investigating Paxton provided testimony before a grand jury in San Antonio in August

,

said two people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity due to confidentiality rules surrounding the procedure. One said the grand jury heard from Drew Wicker, Paxton’s former personal assistant. During the impeachment trial, Wicker testified that he once heard a contractor tell Paxton to check with Nate about the cost of renovating the attorney general’s home in Austin.

Paul

was indicted in June on charges of making false statements to banks to obtain more than $170 million in loans. He has pleaded not guilty.

During closing arguments, the defense focused on telling senators that either there was no evidence to support the charges or that any evidence was not beyond a reasonable doubt. The House impeachment managers, on the other hand, walked through specific documents and played excerpts of testimony from the deputies who reported Paxton to the FBI.

The Republican-led panel in Texas issues 20 indictments against the Republican Party’s attorney general. went to church together. Still, he told senators that Paxton deserved punishment.

One of the articles of impeachment concerns an alleged extramarital affair Paxton had with Laura Olson, who worked for Paul. It is alleged that Paul’s hiring of Olson amounted to a bribe. In a dramatic scene this week, she was called to the witness stand but ultimately never tested.

The verdict will be decided by thirty senators, most of whom are Republicans. Convicting him on any of the 16 articles of impeachment would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate, meaning that if all 12 Democrats vote to convict, they would need nine Republicans to join them.

The deliberations will take place in private. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said the trial would continue through the weekend if necessary.

With time running out, Paxton on Thursday pointed to renewed support from Trump, who criticized the impeachment as shameful in a post on his social media platform.

The Republican Party-controlled Texas House votes to impeach Republican Atty. General Ken Paxton

For years, Trump has fueled his supporters’ distrust of the FBI in the face of legal challenges. On Friday, Buzbee leaned on these doubts during closing arguments that were televised and aimed at an audience beyond the senators in the chamber.

“Do we believe the FBI is always on the rise? Or can we all agree that sometimes they pick and choose?” Buzbee said.

Like Trump, Paxton is facing a series of legal problems. He remains under federal investigation over the same allegations that led to his ouster, and faces disciplinary proceedings over his attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Paxton has yet to stand trial on federal bond fraud charges from 2015. He pleaded not guilty in that case, but his lawyers have said that removal from office could open the door to a plea bargain.

Bleiberg reported from Dallas.