As the clock ticks down in the Senate’s impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton, another witness for the prosecution has undermined the allegations lobbed by the House.
This time, the subject was an alleged kitchen renovation at Paxton’s Austin home that House impeachment prosecutors say was funded by Nate Paul, a real estate developer that has been at the center of many of the charges against Paxton.
The renovation project, they allege, amounted to bribery and is spelled out in the tenth article of impeachment, with those seeking to impeach Paxton as well as leftist media reporting he received “granite countertops” in exchange for giving Paul favorable access to the Attorney General’s Office.
Photos provided by Paxton’s legal team, however, show there are no granite countertops. In fact, the kitchen renovation never happened.
This came to light during the defense’s cross-examination of Drew Wicker, Paxton’s former aide and the suspected initial source of the rumors surrounding the supposed kitchen renovation.
When confronted with the images by Tony Buzbee, one of Paxton’s lawyers, Wicker conceded the kitchen appeared unchanged.
Tony Buzbee: We can see that there are no work done on the countertops, can’t we?
Drew Wicker: Yes, we can.
TB: We can see that there was no work done in the cabinetry, can’t we?
DW: Yes, sir.
TB: Pretty clear, isn’t it?
DW: From those images? Yes.
TB: Accusing someone of bribery for accepting granite countertops and new cabinetry is a very serious allegation, isn’t it?
DW: I would agree.
TB: And you understand that Mr. Paxton, General Paxton, has no obligation to prove anything, right. He’s being accused.
DW: Yes, sir.
TB: He didn’t have to prove anything, does he?
DW: Yes, sir.
TB: But we’ve proven that the countertops were not altered in any way, haven’t we?
DW: The countertops appear to have not been altered.
TB: The cabinets have not been altered in any way have they?
DW: It would appear that way. Yes, sir.
The interaction came after House investigators objected numerous times to evidence brought by Paxton that no kitchen renovations were made, and that other renovations made to the house were paid for by insurance and out of pocket.
Testimony in Paxton’s impeachment trial is expected to conclude later this week. Senators will then be given the opportunity to deliberate before making their decision. The prosecution needs 21 senators, or a two-thirds majority, to remove Paxton from office.
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