Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked Speaker of the House Dad Phelan to resign Tuesday, claiming he was “clearly intoxicated” while presiding over the Texas state House of Representatives.
Videos posted on Twitter Show Mr Phelan having difficulty speaking during a House meeting on Friday (19 May). Mr. Phelan seemed to jumble up his words and mix them together, which made him difficult to understand at times.
one in statement posted on Twitter, Mr. Paxton called for Mr. Phelan to resign at the end of the legislative session, saying “the people of Texas were dismayed to see him preside over the Texas House in a state of clearly debilitating intoxication.”
“His conduct negatively affected the legislative process and failed in his duty to the public,” Paxton said.
Mr Paxton said the incident had failed the public and created a credibility crisis for Republicans.
“While I am hopeful that Speaker Phelan will get the help he needs, he has proven himself unworthy of the trust of Texans and is incapable of leading the Texas House,” Mr. Paxton said.
In addition to his statement, Mr. Paxton sent a letter to the Texas Committee on General Investigations, calling on its members to investigate Mr. Phelan.
“Based on a review of Speaker Dad Phelan presiding over the House of Representatives while clearly intoxicated, I am recommending the committee to open an investigation of Speaker Phelan for violations of House rules, state law, and for misrepresenting his position.” I am calling for mr paxton wrote,
Mr Phelan, who serves as the Texas Speaker of the House through 2021, has made no public comment about Friday evening’s incident. It is not clear whether he was intoxicated or facing a health issue that affected his speech.
in a statement to Independent, Mr. Phelan’s communications director, Kate Wittman, said, “Mr. Paxton’s statement today is little more than a last ditch effort to save face.
provided by Ms. Wittman Independent A letter from Andrew Moore, Chair of the General Inquiry Committee, to Mr. Paxton regarding Mr. Paxton’s investigation.
The letter addresses Mr. Paxton’s alleged “request for $3.3 million dollars of public funds to pay for resolving litigation between your agency and the terminated whistleblower.”
Independent Polygon has reached out to Mr. Paxton’s office for comment.
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