‘Great honor to be back,' Ken Paxton says, calls impeachment ‘destructive political theater'

Ken Paxton says it's a "great honor to be back to work this week" after being reinstated as Texas Attorney General.

The Republican was suspended for more than four months while Texas Senators prepared to hold an impeachment hearing after the Texas House drafted 20 articles of impeachment against him in May.

Most of the charges surrounded his relationship with an Austin real estate developer named Nate Paul, who was indicted in June on charges of making false statements to banks in order to secure more than $170 million in loans. Paul has pleaded not guilty and did not appear at the impeachment trial.

The hearing was held earlier this month and Paxton, who pleaded not guilty, was acquitted on 16 of 20 articles. The other four were dismissed. Had Paxton been convicted on just one of the articles he would have been removed from office.

Paxton's unedited statement is below.

“It is my great honor to be back to work this week. The Office of the Attorney General has redoubled our focus on countless issues facing the state, including opposing illegal immigration, defending election integrity, holding predatory corporations to account, and fighting for the rule of law against the Biden Administration’s executive overreach. After we were disrupted by four months of wasteful and destructive political theater, we have much to do. Our country is suffering under Joe Biden’s heartless presidency. Communities are being torn apart by his illegal alien invasion. Lives are being ruined by a justice system he has weaponized against his political opponents. Even here in Texas, many politicians are following Biden’s example, selfishly sacrificing rule of law to serve their own interests. That is no legacy to leave. They will destroy our beloved nation if they continue. Future generations will have nothing if we cannot save our country from corrupt, tyrannical, power-hungry politicians. Justice ultimately prevailed in the fraudulent effort to remove me from office, but that dark period cautions us how vigorously we must defend our rights. Thank you to my wife, Angela, and my children, for your love and support. Thank you to Governor Abbott for his continued faith in me and for his leadership during this process. Thank you to First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster and Provisional Attorneys General John Scott and Angela Colmenero for guiding the agency during my absence. Thank you to every OAG employee for your dedication and effort in the face of uncertainty. And thank you to my cherished fellow Texans, who have entrusted me with the privilege of serving as your Attorney General. I will never back down.”

After his trial ended Sept. 16, Paxton sat down with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for a pre-recorded interview broadcast on X.

Paxton has called his impeachment a political plot orchestrated by Republican rivals and plans to campaign in the Republican primary against the Texas House impeachment managers.

He also criticized Cornyn, who in recent years has been one of Texas' few top Republicans to publicly express concerns with Paxton's legal troubles. Asked by Carlson why he doesn't challenge Cornyn, who is up for reelection in 2026, Paxton said, “Hey look, everything is on the table for me.”

The outcome of the trial far from ended Paxton’s troubles. He still faces trial on felony securities fraud charges, remains under a separate FBI investigation and is in jeopardy of losing his ability to practice law in Texas because of his baseless attempts to overturn the 2020 election.