Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused of threatening colleagues as his impeachment hearing begins
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been accused of threatening colleagues with political blowback if they vote for his impeachment. State Representative Charlie Geren, who like Mr Paxton is a member of the Republican Party, said that “several members of this House while on the floor of this House, doing the state business, received telephone calls from general Paxton personally, threatening them with political consequences in their next election,” according to The Texas Tribune. Mr Geren made the claim during the opening remarks in the impeachment hearing in the Texas statehouse. The 73-year-old rejected Mr Paxton’s claims that the impeachment is a witch hunt and that the whistleblowers behind a lawsuit against him are “political” appointees. Mr Geren, who sits on the House General Investigative Committee, repeated what the panel said in the articles of impeachment filed against Mr Paxton, that the committee wouldn’t have probed the issue if he hadn’t made the request that the legislature greenlight a settlement worth $3.3m to the former members of staff. “We are here today because the attorney general asked the state Legislature to fund a multimillion-dollar settlement,” Mr Geren said. “There was no investigation prior to this time. We wanted to look further into the reasons behind that.” Mr Geren went on to say that the settlement was Mr Paxton trying to hide the possibility of wrongdoing. “This settlement served to stave off a trial, including a discovery process that could have brought new info to light,” he said. Mr Paxton has long been accused of violating the standards of his office, which he has held since 2015, before which he served in the Texas state senate between 2013 and 2015 and before that the Texas Statehouse from 2003 until 2013. On Saturday, members of the GOP in the Texas House started to present their case for impeaching Mr Paxton, arguing that he used his role to benefit himself and a donor to his campaign and that he should be put on trial in the state Senate for a range of violations. It’s the first vote on the impeachment of a statewide officeholder in Texas since 1917, The New York Times noted. Former President Donald Trump issued a statement of support for Mr Paxton on Truth Social, writing that “the RINO Speaker of the House of Texas, Dade Phelan, who is barely a Republican at all and failed the test on voter integrity, wants to impeach one of the most hard working and effective Attorney Generals in the United States, Ken Paxton, who just won re-election with a large number of American Patriots strongly voting for him”. “You would think that any issue would have been fully adjudicated by the voters of Texas, especially when that vote was so conclusive,” Mr Trump added. The Republican-controlled bipartisan statehouse committee that advanced the process against Mr Paxton filed 20 articles of impeachment this week, with the panel unanimously finding him unfit to hold office, sending the issue on to the full statehouse. Republican Representative David Spiller said that Mr Paxton used his office to help the donor, an Austin real estate investor, to his campaign as well as himself. “Attorney General Paxton continuously and blatantly violated laws and procedures,” Mr Spiller said, according to The New York Times. “Today is a very grim and difficult day for this House and for the State of Texas.” For the issue to head to a trial in the state Senate, 75 of the statehouse’s 85 Republicans and 64 Democrats would have to vote for impeachment, according to the House Speaker’s office. Mr Paxton, 60, has rejected all allegations of wrongdoing. He has been a vocal supporter of conservative legal issues and a main combatant of the Biden administration on issues such as the Affordable Care Act and immigration. He won a third term last year after beating George P Bush, the son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the nephew of former President George W Bush, in a Republican primary in May 2022. The allegations against him became a part of the campaign, and Mr Paxton accused the Republican House leadership of working with Democrats to remove him from office. If the impeachment vote succeeds, Mr Paxton would be temporarily removed from his office as the issue head to the state Senate for a trial, where a number of his main allies, such as his wife, state Senator Angela Paxton, will be jurors. Read More Texas' GOP-held House set for impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Ken Paxton Texas’ extraordinary move to impeach scandal-plagued GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton A look at the 20 articles of impeachment against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
1970-01-01 08:00
WWE Night of Champions 2023 match grades and takeaways: The Bloodline implodes as Jimmy Uso turns on Roman Reigns
WWE Night of Champions 2023 saw new champions crowned and titles retained. We'll now grade each match on the premium live event.WWE presented yet another premium live event in May. On Saturday, May 27, Night of Champions 2023 took place at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.T...
1970-01-01 08:00
Marlins vs. Angels prediction and odds for Saturday, May 27
The Marlins and Angels continue a weekend series out west after Miami scored a 6-2 win to start the three game set on Friday.However, Miami will face a stiff test on Saturday night with Shohei Ohtani working double duty as a dangerous hitter and Cy Young caliber pitcher. The Marlins will counter...
1970-01-01 08:00
Kimberly Guilfoyle threatens DeSantis: ‘You’re going to get hurt, and damaged – badly’
Vocal Maga supporter Kimberly Guilfoyle on Saturday claimed that Ron DeSantis would “get hurt and damaged badly” by the Florida governor’s 2024 presidential bid against Donald Trump, the father of her boyfriend. Ms Guilfoyle, who was previously married to California governor and Democrat Gavin Newsom, made the comments on Newsmax TV’s America Right Now. “You’re gonna run against Donald Trump, you are going to get hurt and damaged badly,” said Ms Guilfoyle, who lives in Florida with Donald Trump, Jr. “That is the problem. So by the time Trump is done – we saw this before, 16 people, one after the next, fell off the stage – you’re gonna end up in the junkyard, and you’re not gonna be in good shape for 2028. “That’s just a fact,” she said. She claimed that it was “not time to go into Toys R Us, strap on the training wheels and take a spin around the aisle and see if it works out.” A former prosecutor, Ms Guilfoyle has been a staunch, visible and vocal Trump supporter for years, notably making a roaring speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention. On Saturday, she said Mr DeSantis “is doing a fine job in Florida”. “In my opinion, he should stay here and do the job,” she told NewsMax. “He made a commitment, when he was just re-elected, to do four years and serve. If you’re going to be on the road running for a campaign for president, that’s not going to happen, and he’s not ready for it.” The Florida governor officially announced his bid for the Republican nomination this week with a glitch-filled Twitter Spaces event with Elon Musk. “American decline is not inevitable — it is a choice. And we should choose a new direction — a path that will lead to American revitalization,” Mr DeSantis said, outlining his conservative accomplishments. “I am running for president of the United States to lead our great American comeback.” Following the Twitter Spaces event, a Trump spokeswoman said: “Ron DeSantis’ botched campaign announcement is another example of why he is just not ready for the job. The stakes are too high, and the fight to save America is too critical to gamble on a first-timer who is clearly not ready for prime time. President Trump is the proven leader that will be ready on day one to turn the country around.” Read More Trump spokeswoman appears to mock Pete Buttigieg’s military service over Memorial Day weekend DeSantis accuses Trump of ‘moving to the left’ as he tells ex-president: ‘You’ve changed’ DeSantis signed bill shielding SpaceX and other companies from liability day after Elon Musk 2024 launch Prosecutors have recording of Trump speaking to witness in hush money criminal case Kimberly Guilfoyle met by half empty auditorium at CPAC
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Five months in with no deal in sight, Israel's judicial protests endure
By Rami Amichay TEL AVIV Amid a sea of hundreds, perhaps thousands of Israeli flags at an anti-government
1970-01-01 08:00
Turkish presidency run-off decides if Erdogan should have five more years
Turks vote in a momentous presidential run-off to decide on their country's future path.
1970-01-01 08:00
Erling Haaland set to beat Premier League record set by Thierry Henry 20 years ago
Manchester City's Erling Haaland is set to surpass Thierry Henry's 20-year Premier League record of all-time goal involvements in one season.
1970-01-01 08:00
A Kentucky man ran out of fuel. A stop for $20 worth of gas netted him a $1 million jackpot win
A man from Corbin, Kentucky, ran into some bad luck after his car became critically low on gas but his misfortune was short-lived, thanks to a winning purchase at a gas station.
1970-01-01 08:00
Mass protests against Israeli government's plans to change legal system enter 21st week
Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered on Saturday for the relentless weekly protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government’s plans to overhaul the legal system in the country. The mass protests entered their 21st week. This week’s rallies come days after Netanyahu’s coalition of ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist parties passed a new two-year budget. The main rally took place in Tel Aviv, drawing thousands of flag-waving protesters. The passing of the new budget could grant some stability to Israel’s most hard-line government ever. However, it also appeared to fuel the protestors' views that Netanyahu appeals to his religious allies rather than address the wider economic woes of the broader society. Organizers of grassroot protests bill them as a movement to save democracy. They say the government’s plans to weaken the Supreme Court would destroy the country’s system of checks and balances and compromise Israeli democracy. Proponents of the judicial overhaul say it is needed to rein in an overzealous Supreme Court. Netanyahu delayed the proposed changes in March, but protest organizers say they want to keep the demonstrations up until the plans are scrapped. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide
1970-01-01 08:00
Please wear clothes in your digital driver's license photo, Georgia officials urge
Your driver's license is not the right place for a spicy selfie, according to Georgia officials.
1970-01-01 08:00
Trump spokeswoman appears to mock Pete Buttigieg’s military service over Memorial Day weekend
In a Twitter spat between spokespeople for the top two candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, the military service of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appeared to be used as a cudgel against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington tweeted on Saturday: “Ron ‘Dee-Santis’ has run for 4 different offices in the past 7 years. That’s not someone who’s in it for the country, it’s someone who’s in it for himself.” The “DeSantis War Room” Twitter account then responded, saying that “the Trump campaign said @RonDeSantis is ‘not someone who’s in it for the country.’” “Here’s our response,” they added, sharing images of Mr DeSantis in his Navy uniform and from his time serving in Iraq, a clear dig at former President Donald Trump, who avoided joining the military by claiming that he had medical issues that prevented him from serving. Ms Harrington then replied by only posting an image of the transportation secretary in his military gear, seemingly in an attempt to denigrate the service of both Mr Buttigieg and Mr DeSantis. Mr Buttigieg served as an intelligence officer with the US Naval Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan for seven months. The response prompted criticism from Twitter users, who slammed the spokeswoman for appearing to use the Democrat’s military service to criticise Mr Trump’s main rival for the GOP nomination over Memorial Day weekend. “Great way to dump on veterans and people in uniform... You nailed this one Liz,” one Twitter user said. “Let’s mock vets over Memorial Day weekend. I’m sure that is a great strategy,” another added, to which a third referenced Mr Trump’s criticism of late Arizona Senator John McCain, who spent five years in captivity in Vietnam. Mr Trump once said he only liked soldiers who “weren’t captured”. “The official Trump campaign chooses Memorial Day weekend to tweet that men and women who served in uniform should be viewed with suspicion,” Donny Ferguson added. “‘Serving your country is dishonorable because libs do it’ is an interesting campaign message,” one Twitter user said. “Why would the spokeswoman for Cadet Bone Spurs think she’s in any position to talk?” another account holder added, referencing Mr Trump’s draft dodging excuse. Read More Ron DeSantis news – live: Don Jr shares AI-doctored clip of The Office showing DeSantis wearing woman’s suit Donald Trump Jr shares doctored Office clip showing Ron DeSantis wearing a woman’s suit Prosecutors have recording of Trump speaking to witness in hush money criminal case Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
1970-01-01 08:00
New Iowa law restricts gender identity education, bans books with sexual content
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a sweeping bill into law Friday that will restrict education about gender identity and sexual orientation and ban books with certain sexual content from school libraries, as well as require schools to notify parents if their child asks to use a new name or pronoun.
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