Here’s what Tarrant County lawmakers said about their Paxton impeachment votes

Republicans Tony Tinderholt of Arlington and Nate Schatzline of Fort Worth were the only Tarrant County area lawmakers to vote no on the articles of impeachment against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday.

Tinderholt, speaking in the House before the vote, said it was a “sad day for our chamber” as he took the front podium to speak in opposition of the impeachment resolution. He and others who spoke against the measure raised concerns about the process and quick turnaround of the impeachment proceedings.

Tinderholt said the process lacked transparency, careful deliberation and is about politics. He raised concerns that Paxton hadn’t been interviewed as part of the investigation and that an attorney general office staff member wasn’t able to testify as a resource witness earlier in the week.

He said that instead of questioning witnesses in a hearing, investigators were allowed to summarize and “potentially editorialize” their findings.

“If you think this is how we best serve Texans, you’re gravely mistaken,” Tinderholt said. “When you vote today, don’t listen to the bullies inside or outside this building that try to intimidate you into submission.”

Following the vote, Tinderholt told the Star-Telegram that he thought most people who voted no had a problem with the process.

“We want this process to be unquestionable,” he said. “We want it to be the highest standards. And I think today what we did is cheapen impeachment in the state of Texas.”

He had a problem with the selection of the investigators. He said they worked with vice chair Democrat Ann Johnson of Houston and that they were from Harris County.

“Three to four of them are voting Democrat,” he said.

But the real problem, he said, was a lack of transparency.

“If we ever do something like this, people should never be able to say that it was politically motivated or that some committee was weaponized to get rid of someone they didn’t like,” he said.

Schatzline said he had nothing but respect for the committee and its chairman, Rep. Andrew Murr of Junction, but said he was concerned because members were not given access to evidence or allowed to question witnesses.

“If I’m going to make a judgment call that’s going to potentially create precedents and future impeachment, then I want to make sure that I’m doing so off of good faith and offer good knowledge of the actual evidence and being able to ask questions myself,” he said. “And so for me, that’s why I voted no. It had everything to do with the procedure and the process.”

Republican Rep. Giovanni Capriglione of Southlake said he was one of the first representatives to endorse Paxton when he initially ran for attorney general. He voted in favor of the resolution.

“This decision weighed heavily on me, and it brought me no joy,” he said in a statement. “The resolution passed with a significant majority. Let me clarify that the primary objective of impeachment is to safeguard the state and entrusted with the responsibility to assess whether there was sufficient evidence to warrant further legal proceedings. Having watched the committee hearing, scrutinized its transcript, and devoted hours to listening to testimonies and debates, there is no doubt that the evidence against the Attorney General is substantial and compelling.”

Craig Goldman, a Republican from Fort Worth, said he felt there was enough evidence for Paxton to have his day in court in the Senate. He disputed Paxton’s assertion that the impeachment was politically motivated.

“This is one of the toughest votes, if not the toughest vote, any of us have ever taken as long as we’ve been here,” he said. “We took it extremely seriously. Not only on behalf of our constituents, but all of Texas. We understand the gravity and importance of this vote. No one in there took that vote lightly. Whether they fought, voted for it or against, not one person voted lightly on it. But again, based on the evidence put forward that’s why those of us who voted for it did so.”

Stephanie Klick, a North Richland Hills Republican, called the evidence “compelling.”

“We need to look at this and have a trial,” she said.

Rep. Ramon Romero, a Democrat from Fort Worth, pointed out that roughly an equal number of Republicans and Democrats voted for impeachment.

“When you have a public official that’s hiding the truth, and then using taxpayer dollars to pay for it for hush money, I don’t think any taxpayer — any resident of Texas — is going to be happy with that,” he said. “So I don’t think it’s political at all.”

Euless Democrat Salmon Bhojani said the evidence was overwhelming.

“The decision to impeach an elected official is one that should never be taken lightly,” he said. “This vote is historic—one that shows no one is above the law in our state, even at the highest levels of government.

Grand Prairie Democrat Chris Turner, whose district also includes Arlington and Mansfield, said impeachment was warranted given the evidence against Paxton.

“For years, I have called the Legislature to investigate Mr. Paxton and hold him accountable,” he said in a written statement. “The Attorney General is the top law enforcement officer in the state of Texas, yet for years, Mr. Paxton has conducted himself as if he is above the law, prioritizing his personal and political interests above the very important duties of his office.

“Today’s vote sends a message to Mr. Paxton, and every elected officer in this state: no one is above the law.”

Rep. Nicole Collier, a Fort Worth Democrat, said in a written statement the House’s role in impeachment proceedings is not to acquit or convict an official being impeached. Rather it’s to see whether the evidence for the articles of impeachment warrants a trial, she said. There was sufficient evidence, she said.

“In this solemn moment, I am hopeful that my colleagues in the Senate will fulfill their duty to assess the facts and act accordingly,” she said.

This story was originally published May 27, 2023 at 5:53 PM.

Eleanor Dearman

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

(817) 807-3200

Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years. Support my work with a digital subscription