Once upon a time there was a crook in Texas…

As soon as the topic of this blog's first fundraiser in 2024 was announced – The Greatest Con artists in American Political History – Jean Letourneau suggested his candidate in the comments section. “Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, is America’s modern-day hero,” he wrote. His acquittal last September by the Texas Senate proves that being a “fraudster,” without being a prerequisite, is now an important asset to the Texas party. » Turns out, the news this week reminded us that not all Republicans in Texas share that view.

Before we go any further, a reminder. Before the Republican-majority Senate acquitted him, Paxton was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives, which also has a Republican majority, on charges of bribery and breach of trust. Concretely, he was the subject of impeachment proceedings because he did not turn over the keys to the Texas Attorney General's Office to a friend in exchange for donating $25,000 to his campaign, renovating his house and helping him maintain an adultery. relationship.

His Senate acquittal can be explained by divisions in Texas between traditional Republicans and MAGA Republicans, who place more importance on loyalty to Donald Trump than integrity. The divisions emerged this week when Paxton condemned Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn for supporting a bill to provide additional military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Below is an exchange on X between the two men that sums up these divisions and reminds us that Paxton remains the target of multiple criminal corruption investigations:

“This is a question all Texans should ask themselves. It is unconscionable that John Cornyn would stay up all night defending other nations' borders, not America's borders,” Paxton wrote.

Cornyn responded: “Ken, your criminal defense attorneys are calling to suggest that you spend less time on Russian propaganda and more time defending the criminal charges that were filed against you long ago in Houston, as well as the ongoing proceedings before the federal grand jury in San Antonio.” “Which will likely lead to additional criminal charges.”

Ken, your criminal defense attorneys are contacting you to suggest that you spend less time promoting Russian propaganda and more time defending the long-standing criminal charges against you in Houston, as well as the ongoing federal grand jury proceedings in San Antonio that will likely result. .. https://t.co/6dfvvqJSfV

– Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) February 13, 2024

This concludes the commenters on this blog (and my blog) on ​​this fundraiser topic. A huge thank you to everyone who chipped in with their two cents (and made their financial contribution), as well as to others who will do so before the end of the evening!

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