Texas Republicans Call for GOP House Speaker Dade Phelan to Resign

Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan in the House Chamber at the Texas Capitol in Austin on May 26, 2023. Eric Gay/AP Photo

Texas Republicans have formally called on Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan to resign, in part because of his campaign to impeach state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Mr. Phelan and Mr. Paxton are both Republicans.

Mr. Paxton was acquitted on Sept. 16 of all counts, but Mr. Phelan “continues to defend this action despite the weaknesses of the case,” a resolution approved by the Texas Republican Party on Sept. 23 states.

The resolution also faults Mr. Phelan for appointing Democrats to chair legislative committees and blocking legislation authored by Republicans.

“Speaker Dade Phelan ignored or actively undermined several GOP priorities during the regular session and failed to advance salient legislation to secure our borders and our elections,” it reads.

“New leadership is needed in the Texas House of Representatives for the upcoming special session, and potential subsequent special sessions, to ensure that conservative priorities are achieved and that members are no longer pressured to act and vote contrary to the Platform, Principles, and Priorities of the Party they represent and of its voters.”

The Texas Republican Party wants Mr. Phelan to resign as speaker, which would allow Republicans to select a new speaker.

If he doesn’t, then Republicans should vote him out, the party stated.

Mr. Phelan’s spokeswoman didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The party’s Senate Republican Executive Committee voted 58–2 to approve the resolution, a spokesman told The Epoch Times in an email.

Bill Fairbrother and Morgan Graham are the two members who voted against the resolution.

Suspended Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton (C) sits with his attorneys Tony Buzbee (L) and Mitch Little (R) during his impeachment trial at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Sept. 15, 2023. Eric Gay/AP Photo

Phelan Stands By Vote

Mr. Phelan and a number of other Republicans voted in the spring to impeach Mr. Paxton, alleging that he used his office to help a real estate developer and fired whistleblowers who raised concerns about the connection between Mr. Paxton and the developer.

The articles of impeachment included bribery and abusing public trust.

“The evidence against Paxton, presented to our chamber after a months-long investigation into allegations involving bribery, deceit and other types of disturbing misconduct, was more than damning, and our chamber overwhelmingly agreed that a further examination of the facts was merited,” Mr. Phelan wrote in an op-ed published over the weekend.

“We didn’t vote to impeach because we wanted to punish our state’s top attorney, but rather to open the door to a fair and thorough discussion of the evidence before determining whether Paxton abused his office to a degree so extreme that makes him unfit for office. I stand by that vote, and I stand by the belief that Paxton’s conduct is beneath the office he holds.”

Mr. Phelan claimed that the Senate allowed “politics to prevail over principles,” pointing to how some witnesses weren’t called to testify. He said other legal matters, including lawsuits, may lead to Mr. Paxton’s removal.

Mr. Paxton said in a statement that “the truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors.” He described Mr. Phelan as a liberal presiding over a kangaroo court. Mr. Paxton has previously urged Mr. Phelan to resign.

Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick at a gun bill signing ceremony in San Antonio on June 17, 2021. Brenda Chen/The Epoch Times

Patrick Weighs In

Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick, another Republican, said in May that Mr. Phelan should resign after he struggled to speak clearly during a House session. Some speculated that Mr. Phelan was intoxicated.

“Despite this embarrassing conduct, and his continuing erratic behavior, Phelan has refused to resign. He has also wasted millions of tax dollars on a politically motivated sham impeachment, killed a critical border security bill and empowered an Obama lawyer to stop conservative legislation,” Mr. Patrick said in a new statement, referring to the House parliamentarian appointed by Mr. Phelan.

Mr. Patrick also criticized that the House voted to impeach Mr. Paxton without hearing any testimony.

“The Senate spent 90 days preparing for the trial, spent nine days in trial listening to some of the best attorneys in Texas question and cross-examine witnesses under oath. The jury took an oath to listen to the testimony, the evidence, the facts, and follow the law and the Constitution. They deliberated for nine hours and examined hundreds of exhibits,” he said.

“Every Senator put their hand on the Sam Houston Bible and took an oath to follow the law and evidence. No one in the House put their hand on the Bible when they cast their vote nor did the Speaker. I respect each Senators vote no matter how they voted. The speaker should do the same.”

Mr. Patrick has also asked for an audit of the impeachment process. The audit would detail all expenses, including document production and attorney fees.