When she arrived at the Texas Capitol on Wednesday, it seemed a certainty that the alleged mistress of suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton would take the stand as a star witness in the impeachment trial against him, but prosecutors’ dreams were dashed when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said she was “deemed unavailable to testify.”
Paxton has not appeared in the state Senate chamber since day one of the trial when he pleaded not guilty to 16 articles of impeachment for a slew of alleged white-collar crimes related to his time in office since 2019. But his wife — Angela Paxton, a state senator who has been barred from voting on the trial due to a perceived conflict of interest but ordered to attend — has been there.
REPUBLICAN THREAT BECOMES REAL FOR BIDEN AFTER IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY
Patrick did not explain why Laura Olson, the woman believed to have had an extramarital affair with Ken Paxton, could not take the stand, nor did he say whether she would be available to testify in the future, Fox News reported.
Her testimony was much anticipated. Up until Wednesday, it had been mostly staffers of the attorney general and whistleblowers with law enforcement backgrounds taking the stand. And aside from Nate Paul — the wealthy political donor at the heart of the investigation, who also has not testified — perhaps no one was of more interest to be heard.
The Senate gallery was packed on Wednesday in anticipation of Olson’s testimony, the Washington Post reported, adding that it was the fullest since the first day of the trial. But her time in the Capitol turned out to be unnecessary, as Patrick announced his decision, saying both sides had agreed to it.
The prosecution rested its case, setting up a crucial Thursday morning where senators are expected to vote on the motion to ban Ken Paxton from public office.
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The Texas House voted overwhelmingly to impeach Ken Paxton in May, making him only the third official ever to be impeached in Texas. The move came after years of ethical inquiries into alleged misconduct that included bribery and abuse of office power.
Before being suspended in May, Ken Paxton had been attorney general of Texas since 2015.
