Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick delivered a scathing criticism of the entire process

Following the announcement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's acquittal on all 16 impeachment charges, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick delivered a scathing criticism of the entire process. Patrick accused the House of rushing through the impeachment articles without proper procedure. According to him, the House voted to send the articles to the Senate after only a few days, leaving insufficient time for the 150 members to study them.

Patrick highlighted the departure from past house investigations, which included transparent and open proceedings, notification of the target of the investigation, the opportunity to attend with counsel and cross-examine witnesses under oath. However, in this case, he claimed that House members were not given adequate time to evaluate the evidence before voting on the articles of impeachment.

Patrick further referenced Texas State Rep. John Smithee, who voted against the impeachment and argued that there was no legitimate record to send to the Senate. Smithee criticized the House for not following the rule of law and referred to their approach as "hang them now and judge them later." Patrick mentioned that previous impeachments in Texas, such as that of then-Governor James E. Ferguson in 1917, followed a more comprehensive trial-like process, including the oath of witnesses and cross-examination by the defendant.

During the course of a recent session, the lieutenant governor emphasized the necessity to amend the Constitution regarding impeachment, as the current language allowed for a flawed process. He further stressed that, when it comes to House impeachment proceedings, testimonies should be given under oath, and individuals facing impeachment should be afforded the opportunity to engage with legal counsel and cross-examine witnesses. This is crucial in order to prevent unfounded claims and hold people accountable for their statements.

Additionally, the lieutenant governor argued that the House should allocate a minimum of two weeks for the careful review of all evidence presented under oath before casting votes on such weighty matters. He contended that if these measures had been implemented earlier, the trial might not have taken place in the first place.

A noteworthy promise made by the lieutenant governor was to initiate a thorough audit of all taxpayer funds utilized by the House throughout their investigation, from its inception in March until the final bills are received from their legal representatives. This audit, along with the costs incurred by his own team due to the House impeachment, will be shared with the public for transparency.

It is important to highlight that, unlike the House, the lieutenant governor's team did not employ a large team of external lawyers and investigators. Instead, they relied primarily on their dedicated staff who worked tirelessly, without any additional compensation.

Concluding the session, the lieutenant governor announced a "final judgment" reinstating Paxton to office. With this, the court of impeachment has been dissolved, and the session is adjourned sine die, pending submission of the final judgment to the Secretary of State. Patrick concluded by stating that the House did not follow the rules of evidence, with their case relying on triple hearsay, which would not be admissible in a court. He echoed Smithee's assertion that the House process was indefensible.