Harrison joins Texas Lt. Governor in request for audit on money spent for Paxton hearing

AUSTIN – Local Texas State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-10) called for an accounting of Texas taxpayers’ money that was wasted by the Texas House on the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. 

Harrison made a formal request for an audit from the State Auditor’s Office.

Harrison made the request alongside Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick who also sent a formal request to the state auditor. 

Patrick requested the state auditor report all expenses from the Texas House of Representatives and Senate related to the impeachment trial of Warren Kenneth Paxton, Jr. 

Patrick’s letter stated, “To be clear, the goal is to determine the absolute total cost to the state of preparing for and conducting this trial from the beginning through its conclusion. 

“This must detail all expenses, including but not limited to, investigators expenses, document production and assembly, attorney expenses, witness fees, travel, food, and lodging. This list is illustrative, not exhaustive.” 

Harrison’s letter requested same with Harrison stating, “There may perhaps be no more important responsibility state officials hold than to be good stewards of Texans’ tax dollars.”

A majority of State Senators voted to acquit the Attorney General on each of the 16 articles of impeachment against him, dismissing four that were referred to by the House.

Harrison stated, “Since the House General Investigating Committee claimed it was so outraged by a potential $3 million appropriation to fund Paxton’s settlement agreement that led to impeachment, and because I also care about protecting tax dollars. 

“I am requesting an investigation by the State Auditor’s office to determine exactly how much tax money was spent to conduct this impeachment in both chambers. 

“Texans deserve to know exactly how much of their money was wasted on this disgraceful and fruitless exercise.

“If ‘as goes Texas, so goes the nation,’ Texas must lead in the defense of liberty.

“If we do not, then, as President Ronald Reagan said in 1964, “history will record with the greatest astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to prevent it happening.”

Harrison commended the Senate,and called on Speaker Dade Phelan to immediately step down following the Senate’s acquittal of AG Paxton.

“I applaud the Texas Senate for conducting a fair and transparent trial and for reaching a verdict that was obviously correct given the shocking lack of evidence,” Harrison stated. 

“The Texas House leadership, who misled and pressured Republicans to join a Democrat effort to overturn an election, has, possibly irreparably, disgraced itself and tarnished the reputation of the entire Texas House. 

“The staggering incompetence and dishonest conduct on display by the leadership of the Texas House, the House General Investigating Committee, and Board of Managers must be repudiated. Before trial, House leadership said, in writing, Attorney General Paxton demonstrated a “shocking pattern of abuse and criminality” and “the evidence we found was conclusive.” 

“These were either outright lies, or the House Managers were so blinded by their desire to railroad a political enemy that they failed to take time to learn the truth.

“We now know that much of what was presented as fact by members of the House General Investigating Committee were demonstrable falsehoods. 

“Yet many House Republicans relied on these assertions and voted to impeach.”

“Instead of handling issues of importance such as securing the border, passing school choice, banning COVID mandates, fixing the grid and energy market, reining in emergency executive powers, cutting spending, ending property taxes, deregulating the economy, and stopping communist governments from buying Texas land, the Speaker of the House prioritized the impeachment of a recently re-elected Attorney General who he said ‘has proven he is up to the most important task of our time: fighting the out of control federal government, which seeks to destroy our rights, our freedoms, our liberties, our state sovereignty, and the Constitution.’”

Harrison said for that reason, in addition to his appointment of liberal Democrats to chair powerful committees and his presiding over the House while clearly unable to execute the duties of his office, he is calling on Phelan to step down immediately.