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 | J.R. Gonzales, Senior Digital Production Editor |
7 stories to read
1. Affirming faith leaders want to help LGBTQ students at UH.
Faith leaders are in the early stages of figuring out how to fill the gaps left after a law banning DEI programs in higher education forced UH to close its LGBTQ Resource Center.
2. A GOP senator who voted against Paxton calls the evidence 'convincing.'
North Texas Sen. Kelly Hancock was one of two Republicans who voted to convict the AG in his impeachment trial.
3. Uvalde and Santa Fe families join as President Biden opens a gun safety office.
The White House said the office is meant to encourage further federal action to curb gun violence and prevent mass shootings.
4. Beyoncé attended the celebration of the Knowles-Rowland Center in Houston.
The Knowles-Rowland House is a permanent supportive housing development for people trying to get out of homelessness.
5. Grogan's Mill, The Woodlands' oldest village, balances tradition and change.
It has often been referenced to as sticking closest to Woodlands founder George Mitchell's original vision of a "complete" master-planned community for residents to "live, work, play and learn."
6. Carnival Cruise Line unveils a 963-foot ship that's set to sail from Galveston in 2025.
The cruise line unveiled a new ship capable of carrying more than 2,000 passengers.
7. Ryne Stanek returns to the Astros' bullpen from the injury list.
The Astros reliever had missed 14 games with a sprained ankle. Joel Kuhnel was optioned to Sugar Land.
1 photo to see
Photo by: Karen Warren/Staff Photographer
NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal stopped by Pine Shadows Elementary in Spring Branch ISD on Friday to raise awareness about eye health and the importance of eye exams. O'Neal has teamed up with MyEyeDr to encourage children to get vision screenings. Here, he's with Chris Winstead, principal of Pine Shadows Elementary School.
3 questions with Chronicle reporters
Nearly one week after the Texas Senate acquitted Attorney General Ken Paxton of all impeachment charges, Taylor Goldenstein on our politics team fielded your questions on the news and just what might happen next.
Q: Is the federal investigation based on whistleblower complaints still ongoing? If he's indicted by the feds can the House issue new articles of impeachment for essentially the same facts? Would it change things if he's convicted?
A: Paxton defense lawyer Dan Cogdell said in recent public statements that the federal investigation is still ongoing.
Perhaps relatedly, the Austin American-Statesman reported that a grand jury in San Antonio is calling witnesses who are close to Paxton.
If Paxton were to be indicted, the House most likely could issue new articles of impeachment. Legal scholars and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a former Texas attorney general himself, have reasoned that at least a federal impeachment trial is not the same as a criminal trial and therefore the concept of double jeopardy does not apply.
It's important to keep in mind that Paxton would be ineligible to run for public office in Texas if he were convicted of a felony. On top of the whistleblower-related issues, he faces three felony securities fraud charges that have been pending for more than eight years.
Q: It's pretty clear Ken Paxton violated whistleblower laws so the plaintiffs will need to be paid. Where will that money come from?
A: The whistleblowers have said that their tentative whistleblower agreement was only valid if they were paid in this year's regular legislative session, which did not happen. So according to them, that agreement is now off the table. They asked the Texas Supreme Court to continue considering whether their case can be heard under the state's whistleblower law, and it remains before the justices on the state's highest civil court.
As in any lawsuit, however, settlement is always an option. If the state were to refuse to cover a future settlement, Paxton can use campaign funds to pay for it, according to the state's election code. If this latest standoff was any indication, Paxton doesn't seem inclined to dip into that account but rather seems content to wait out the Legislature or fight the case in court.
Q: Are any of his wrong-doings actually illegal by state or federal law? If so, why doesn't the state prosecute him, not just impeach him?
A: Gregg Cox, formerly with the Travis County District Attorney's Office, testified during the trial that he did start looking into whether Paxton had broken any laws, including bribery, misuse of government property and tampering with a governmental record. He said he backed off, reluctantly, after speaking with the U.S. attorney's office on whether there was a path forward that didn't conflict with a federal investigation.
"It was something I felt was worthy of investigation and involved important issues involving the state of Texas, and I was concerned that, as I had seen happen too often, the federal government would sit on it for a long time and then we might not see anything happen," Cox testified.
As mentioned, a grand jury in San Antonio has reportedly called witnesses who are close to Paxton, which could be a sign that federal officials are working toward potential federal charges.
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