AUSTIN, Texas — A House ethics panel announced an investigation into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s agency just hours after he called on the state House speaker to resign.
In an explosive statement Tuesday afternoon, Paxton accused fellow Republican Dade Phelan of leading the chamber while drunk. Paxton offered no evidence to back up his statement. In a separate letter, he asked the House General Investigating Committee to look into the matter.
“Texans were dismayed to witness his performance presiding over the Texas House in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication,” wrote Paxton, a third-term Republican. “While I hope Speaker Phelan will get the help he needs, he has proven himself unworthy of Texans’ trust and incapable of leading the Texas House.”
Phelan declined to respond on Tuesday. “I’m sorry. I’m not going to answer any questions on that,” he said on the House floor.
However, less than two hours later, the General Investigating Committee announced it was looking into Paxton’s agency and authorized subpoenas. The probe appears to have been active since at least mid-April. Members of the House committee did not elaborate on the details of the investigation. It will hold another meeting Wednesday morning.
The dueling moves come as tensions have been building between Phelan and Paxton, the latter of whom faces a slew of legal troubles.
The attorney general’s office recently reached a $3.3 million settlement with four whistleblowers who accused Paxton of bribery and abuse of office. Phelan publicly criticized the deal, saying taxpayers should not have to foot the bill.
The Legislature is poised to block the settlement payment.
The FBI is investigating the whistleblowers’ claims but no charges have been filed. Paxton has denied wrongdoing. He’s also been under indictment since 2015 on unrelated securities fraud charges. Paxton has pleaded not guilty and the case is still awaiting trial.
Paxton’s criticism of Phelan comes after a video circulated on social media in recent days showing Phelan, a Beaumont Republican, muddling his words toward the end of a 14-hour session that began on Friday. Critics online accused the speaker of being “wasted,” while others chalked it up to exhaustion.
The speaker’s office declined to comment on the video, according to KXAN.
The five-member House General Investigating Committee met Tuesday afternoon but conducted most of its business behind closed doors. During that time, House Parliamentarian Hugh Brady came and went from the meeting room.
The committee then opened the meeting to the public, and Chairman Andrew Murr, R-Junction, announced the probe into Paxton’s agency. The committee authorized a subpoena against an unnamed man mentioned only as John Doe #6 and “entity A,” which Murr confirmed was the Office of the Attorney General.
The committee also approved the issuance of a “preservation letter” to be sent to the agency “to ensure all evidence relevant to the committee’s inquiry is not destroyed or concealed.”
The investigation into “matter A” has been ongoing since at least mid-April, when the committee approved four subpoenas for other John Does.
Earlier this month, the House expelled North Texas GOP Rep. Bryan Slaton for alleged inappropriate sexual conduct with a 19-year-old legislative aide. Slaton also obstructed a House investigation into his misconduct, the chamber’s ethics panel found. His expulsion was the first of a member in nearly a century.
The General Investigating Committee is made up of five lawmakers who can look into complaints of misconduct, malfeasance, misfeasance, abuse of office, incompetency and workplace conduct.
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(Dallas Morning News staff writer Lauren McGaughy contributed to this report.)
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