After the state House impeached Ken Paxton on Wednesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott named former Secretary of State John Scott to temporarily fill the position of attorney general.
In a statement released on Wednesday, “John Scott has the background and experience needed to step in as a short-term interim Attorney General during the time the Attorney General has been suspended from duty.” “His decades of experience and expertise in litigation will help guide him while serving as the state’s top law enforcement officer.”
Republican Abbott made the interim appointment days after the state’s GOP-controlled House voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton, with 60 of its 85 Republican lawmakers supporting his suspension on allegations of bribery and abuse of authority, including Speaker Dade Phelan.
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For years, the FBI has been looking into charges that Paxton misused his position to benefit a donor. A 2015 charge accusing him of state securities fraud is also pending trial.
Paxton termed the impeachment proceedings a “politically motivated sham” in a statement on Saturday. Paxton has denied any misconduct.
I am beyond grateful to have the support of millions of Texans who recognize that what we just witnessed is illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust. I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just. pic.twitter.com/fEiAroA2DW
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 27, 2023
The state Senate will hold a hearing to determine whether Paxton should be permanently removed from office after receiving articles of impeachment from the state House. Sen. Angela Paxton’s wife might be on the jury when the trial starts on August 28 at the latest.
In his statement selecting Scott, Abbott—who avoided mentioning Paxton by name or making any comments regarding the impeachment—praised Scott’s legal track record, noting that he has “handled cases at all levels of the justice system.”
Scott, who Abbott named secretary of state in late 2021, resigned last year after presiding over an audit of the state’s 2020 election results and serving as chief elections officer for the 2022 midterm elections.
Scott previously held the position of deputy attorney general for civil litigation under Abbott. Scott has also held the position of chief operations officer for the state Health and Human Services Commission.
Paxton, a steadfast supporter of former President Donald Trump who was chosen as attorney general for the first time in 2014, spearheaded an unsuccessful legal effort to challenge President Joe Biden’s victory in four crucial states in the 2020 election.
He also supported Trump when he announced his campaign for reelection to the presidency last year. Trump defended Paxton over the weekend on his social media platform Truth Social, asserting that the hearings were an example of political meddling and a “very unfair process.”
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