‘Obviously Intoxicated’: Texas AG Calls For Texas House Speaker to Resign After Bizarre Speech
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) called for state House Speaker Dade Phelan to both resign and be investigated for presiding over the chamber while appearing intoxicated last week.
A clip of Phelan, who is also a Republican, badly slurring his words while in his official capacity quickly went viral over the weekend and even led to speculation he had suffered a stroke.
Paxton tore into Phelan in a statement released online, writing, “After much consideration, it is with profound disappointment that I call on Speaker Dade Phelan to resign at the end of this legislation session.”
“Texans were dismayed to witness his performance presiding over the Texas House in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication,” Paxton continued, adding:
His conduct has negatively impacted the legislative process and constitutes a failure to live up to his duty to the public. Texans were relying on the House to pass critical conservative priorities including protecting the integrity of our elections and preventing Chinese spies from controlling Texas land. His failures as Speaker have created a credibility crisis for all Republican candidates and for our entire Party.
Paxton also wrote a letter to the state House’s General Investigation Committee Chairman Andrew Murr asking for an official investigation into Phelan.
“Based on a review of Speaker Dade Phelan presiding over the House of Representatives in an obviously intoxicated state, I am calling upon the Committee to open investigation into Speaker Phelan for violation of House rules, state law, and for conduct unbecoming his position,” Paxton wrote in a letter.
Phelan’s office responded to Paxton, saying, “The motives for and timing behind Paxton’s statement today couldn’t be more evident.” Phelan’s Communications Director Cait Wittman added, “Mr. Paxton’s statement today amounts to little more than a last ditch effort to save face.”
Local media reported on political infighting between Phelan and Paxton prior to this incident, noting “Phelan also opposed Paxton’s request for the legislature to approve a $3.3 million payment to settle a lawsuit against Paxton.”
“There’s also bad blood between Phelan and the attorney general because there was a very public incident a few months where Phelan made the statement the state government should not pay the settlement amount for the settlement the attorney general reached with disgruntled staffers who accused him of misconduct,” Southern Methodist University political science professor Cal Jillson told Fox 4 news in Texas. Paxton had previously been indicted for securities fraud as well.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with Phelan’s response.
