Exhibits against Paxton released

Despite stating there is no evidence, suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton and his legal team now face 150 exhibits from three documents totaling 3,760 pages released by the Texas House impeachment managers.

The Senate published the exhibits last Thursday night which provides detail of how Paxton allegedly abused his office to help Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor and campaign donor, who has his own set of legal problems after being charged with eight felony counts of making false statements to financial institutions to fraudulently obtain loans.

The document dump comes after Paxton’s lawyers called for the 20 articles of impeachment to be dismissed after saying the House had produced on evidence.

New allegations include Paxton using a burner phone, secret email account and fake Uber name to his relationship with Paul.

The documents also include an interview with Paxton’s former personal aide who said he ferried documents to Paul on Paxton’s behalf and witnessed conversations about the renovations to Paxton’s home that suggested Paul had paid for it; emails showing Paul and his lawyer directed a special prosecutor authorize by Paxton to investigate Paul’s rivals and law enforcement officials who raided his home; memoranda documenting instances in which Paxton’s senior advisors urged him, unsuccessfully, to cut ties with Paul; trips under an assumed name to travel by Uber to the home of Paul and the woman he was allegedly having an affair with; and an employment contracting proving Paul hired Paxton’s alleged girlfriend to work at his business.

The documents also point to the allegation that Paxton recruited a state senator, Bryan Hughes, to request a legal opinion that helped avoid foreclosure on properties owned by Paul and his businesses.

The Senate posted the exhibit records last Thursday night on a website the chamber maintains for impeachment-related documents.

The trial is set to begin Sept. 5. Responses to pretrial motions were due Tuesday, and now a special committee is reviewing the motions and responses. That committee has until Aug. 28 to prepare a confidential report with recommendations on the motions for the trial judge, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Patrick can rule on all motions except for those that seek dismissal of any articles, which requires a majority vote of the Senate. Patrick also can ask senators to decide other pretrial motions, with approval granted by a majority vote. Should all 12 Democrats oppose Paxton’s motions to dismiss, managers will need a vote from at least four of the 19 Republican senators to clear the way for a trial, Paxton’s wife who may not vote under trial rules.