Ken Paxton’s wife Angela reacts to acquittal with subtle nod

Texas Sen. Angela Paxton kept a straight face as her husband, the state’s Attorney General Ken Paxton, was acquitted on corruption and bribery charges.

The Republican missed most of the trial and was absent from the Senate as he was acquitted on 16 articles of impeachment. He returned to office more than three months after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach him on 20 articles in May.

State Senate Republicans who serve with his wife on Saturday acquitted him of the charges — four of which the Senate did not consider. Twelve Democratic senators voted to convict on nearly every one of the 16 charges considered during the trial.

The impeachment charges center on Paxton improperly using the power of his office to protect political donor and real estate developer Nate Paul, who was indicted in June on federal charges of making false statements to a bank. Prosecution.

During the two-week trial, former aides told how Paxton, who was backed by former President Donald Trump, pressured them to help Paul and how he helped a man with whom he allegedly had an extramarital affair. The woman found a job with Paul.

Ken Paxton denies wrongdoing and denounces the accusations as politically motivated. His lawyers argued there was no evidence or insufficient evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.

Angela Paxton was not allowed to vote at the trial, but she attended the entire two-week proceedings, including when a woman was subpoenaed about her alleged affair with Ken Paxton Testify publicly. The woman ultimately did not testify.

The state senator remained calm during the vote and could be seen nodding subtly as the vote to acquit her husband on the final article of impeachment was read, according to video of the proceedings. After the trial, she hugged her husband’s lead attorney, Tony Buzbee.

She celebrated her husband’s acquittal in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, quoting Bible verses.

“‘My brothers and sisters, consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance do its work, making you mature and complete, lacking nothing anything, ‘” she wrote in the post.

CNN has reached out to Angela Paxton’s office via email for further comment.

Ken Paxton thanked her in a statement and blasted his impeachment as the work of a “kangaroo court.”

“I want to thank my wonderful wife Angela, whom I love dearly,” he said. “She was a courageous woman of deep faith, unquestionable integrity and a light for our entire family.”

He also promoted an interview he said he would conduct with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in the coming days.

The acquittal was not the end of Paxton’s troubles, however. He is still facing trial on felony securities fraud charges filed in 2015, as well as a lawsuit filed by the state bar over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and is still on trial after his own top deputies accused him of bribery and abuse of power to help Paul. is subject to a separate federal investigation.