During the House proceedings, Republican Representative David Spiller, a member of the House General Investigating Committee, expressed his belief that Paxton had violated the law, stating that he prioritized his own interests over the laws of Texas and disregarded advice from his staff warning him of potential legal violations.
Paxton, however, has denied all allegations and referred to the impeachment as a politically motivated sham. He claimed that the impeachment would hinder his ability to protect Texans from the federal government, particularly in critical litigation against the Biden administration.
The impeachment resolution will now move to the Texas Senate, where a trial will be held to determine whether Paxton will be convicted. It remains uncertain when the trial will take place. Paxton's wife, Texas state Senator Angela Paxton, may be involved in the vote unless she recuses herself.
Notably, the impeachment vote was not strictly along party lines, with both Republicans and Democrats expressing their support or opposition to Paxton's impeachment. Some Republicans who voted for impeachment stated that they received personal threats from Paxton regarding potential political consequences in future elections, according to US media.
"One of the key responsibilities of the General Investigating Committee is to look beyond partisan affiliation in order to take the necessary steps to protect the institution that is our state and government," said GOP state Rep. Charlie Geren, a member of the House General Investigating Committee. "We do just that today with this resolution."
Former President Donald Trump, took to social media to criticize the impeachment and urged Republicans to fight against it.
"Free Ken Paxton," Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform. "Let them wait for the next election!"
Despite the impeachment, Paxton still has allies in the Texas House, and some lawmakers raised concerns about the evidence used to move forward with the impeachment. Republican Representative John Smithee, who voted against impeachment, questioned the legitimacy of the process rather than defending Paxton himself.
"We'll have to defend not only the final result that we reach today and the way we vote, but we'll also have to defend the process by which this determination was made," Smithee said. "To me, this process is indefensible."
The Texas Senate, led by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, will serve as jurors in the upcoming trial. The outcome of the trial will determine whether Paxton will be removed from office.