In a move as unexpected as lightning in a clear sky, the defense attorneys representing Ken Paxton, the state’s embattled attorney general, stunned the state Senate on Wednesday. Dismissing the fortress-like shield of attorney-client privilege over crucial documents and conversations, they declared that the suspended top law officer “stands with transparent arms – he has nothing to hide.”
Buzbee Law Firm Waves off Privilege Objections
Tony Buzbee, the maestro at the helm of the Buzbee Law Firm and Paxton’s primary attorney, clarified that this bold move was, in essence, a strategy to streamline the proceedings. However, he cryptically hinted at the possibility of raising hearsay objections in relation to specific dialogues between key witnesses and the attorney general.
Tuesday’s Senate hearings witnessed a skirmish around this privilege when Jeff Mateer, the ex-assistant attorney general, took the stand. Mateer, who had dramatically resigned in October 2020 following his whistleblowing revelations about Paxton’s alleged misdeeds, was at the eye of the storm. Rusty Hardin, the prosecutor spearheading the case against Paxton, tried introducing a potentially explosive email exchange, only to be deferred by the day’s end.
A Web of Allegations and Whistleblowers
The Senate’s focus is piercingly sharp on the 16 articles of impeachment that accuse Paxton of manipulating his authoritative power. The allegation? Favoring his close ally and significant campaign donor, Nate Paul, during several legal quandaries. Four individuals, who pulled the curtains on Paxton’s alleged misdemeanors, are now litigants in a Travis County lawsuit.
