Texans for Lawsuit Reform is telling senators to oppose motions to dismiss impeachment charges against Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The comment was made in a statement Thursday where they denied any involvement in the House’s investigation of Paxton earlier this year that led to 20 impeachment charges.
Since then, Paxton’s legal team has filed a motion to dismiss all but one of the articles of impeachment against him. They say that is because the alleged misconduct occurred prior to the 2022 general election and is therefore void under the so-called prior-term doctrine, which precludes impeachment charges for allegations known to the public prior to their election.
“There is an ongoing effort underway to intimidate the Senators into abandoning their constitutional obligations and acquitting Paxton before the trial even begins and the evidence has been presented,” a statement released by the organization stated. “These efforts are disrespectful of the constitutional impeachment process and insulting to the integrity of the Texas Senate. Texans deserve a trial and outcome based on the factual presentation and consideration of evidence. TLR expects the Senate will conduct a fair, open and thorough trial and that each Senator will make her or his decision solely on the evidence presented.”
TLR and its founder and chairman Houston businessman Dick Weekley have been placed on Paxton’s witness list, as leaked to the Dallas Morning News this week.
Austin political observers have noted that TLR has opposed Paxton for years, particularly after he challenged the speakership of liberal Republican Joe Straus in 2011.
Weekley and TLR contributed more than $3 million to former Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman, who finished third in her challenge to Paxton in the 2022 Republican primary. Paxton went on to defeat George P. Bush in the runoff. Legal observers expect, if called to testify, he would be asked about the role his organization has played leading up to the House impeachment of Paxton.
TLR has also donated millions to state senators. The following chart shows the amount of money donated to the Republican senators who will be voting on the motions to dismiss, as well as the impeachment charges.
| Dist. | Republican Senators | TLR Donations (2015-Now) | Donor Position |
| 1 | Bryan Hughes | $392,372 | #1 |
| 2 | Bob Hall | $56,000 | #8 |
| 3 | Robert Nichols | $45,000 | #9 |
| 4 | Brandon Creighton | $75,000 | #3 |
| 5 | Charles Schwertner | $78,987 | #3 |
| 7 | Paul Bettencourt | $50,000 | #4 |
| 9 | Kelly Hancock | $80,250 | #5 |
| 10 | Phil King | $147,509 | #1 |
| 11 | Mayes Middleton | $97,542 | #2 |
| 12 | Tan Parker | $69,541 | #2 |
| 17 | Joan Huffman | $420,538 | #1 |
| 18 | Lois Kolkhorst | $55,000 | #4 |
| 22 | Brian Birdwell | $50,000 | #2 |
| 24 | Pete Flores | $1,233,607 | #1 |
| 25 | Donna Campbell | $70,000 | #4 |
| 28 | Charles Perry | $55,203 | #1 |
| 30 | Drew Springer | $400,137 | #1 |
| 31 | Kevin Sparks | $35,042 | #11 |
Senate rules preclude State Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney), Ken Paxton’s wife, from voting during the impeachment trial.
The Senate trial is slated to begin September 5.
