And Let's not forget about the other Deplorables

[rareboy]

The difference is...Boebert and likely a lot of her dysfunctional voters just think of this as normal family life. Because it likely looks like theirs.

I can only hope that the reason that her son isn't getting knocked around and she's out raging against Pride is that the kid is a homo and his parents aren't able to deal with it.

 

[TX-Beau]

CNN — The Texas House of Representatives has voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, an unprecedented move following a legislative probe that faulted the third-term Republican for a yearslong pattern of corruption, including abusing his office’s powers, retaliating against whistleblowers and obstructing justice...

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/27/politics/ken-paxton-impeachment-texas-house/index.html

So, apparently what happened was that Paxton agreed to pay some ex-staffers, fired illegally, 3.3 million dollars to settle their lawsuit (they accuse him of a whole host of felonies, from bribery to abuse of his office, to obstruction of justice, of which he is of course, completely guilty.) But Ken - instead of just paying and being done with it, went to Abbot et al and demanded that the State find the money instead.

There was no possibility that the State could fund Paxton's settlement fine without a public scandal. But Ken started insisting, handing Abbot a crisis. At this point, they impeached him.

It may not be justice, but just this once, I'll take it.

Now we'll see if they think he's been appropriately chastised and will be acquitted in the Senate, or if they really are done with him.

I'm just sitting here trying to anticipate what kind of knuckle-draggin', bigoted Trog Abbot is going to find to replace him - however temporarily.

 

[rareboy]

Watch. The Senate won't convict him.

 

[KaraBulut]

Watch. The Senate won't convict him.

I dunno. The House vote was 121-23 in the Texas House. Paxton has enemies. At this point, his dog probably wants him gone, too.


The Senate vote is going to be weird. His wife (the one he cheated on with the lobbyist) is a member of the Texas Senate.

I think he's going to be convicted by the Texas Senate. News reports say that Paxton was calling House members while they were on the floor threatening to make it difficult for them to get re-elected. Paxton has the Nutty-Fundie base (which is a big part of the Republican primary voters in Texas) but there's been enough unseemly shit that gets uncovered, I think the Texas Senate will dump him and he'll finally get the trial that he's managed to stall for 6 years.

I've seen a lot of office politics involving shady people. This reminds me of cases where shady powerful people were protecting other shady powerful people... until they weren't. Paxton pissed off somebody in power. Somebody in power has decided that Paxton has gotten to big for his britches and they were hoping that the Texas voters would dump him in 2022. Since Paxton was re-elected in 2022, the powers-that-be used a Texas House investigation to build Paxton's coffin. I suspect those same people will be out buying nails for Texas Senators to nail the coffin shut.

Other possible explanation: some rich donor in Texas has told Abbott, Patrick and Phelan to get rid of Paxton.

Here's the 20 articles in the impeachment motion. It's tawdry stuff.

1. Article 1, disregard of official duty - Paxton had employees in his office intervene in a lawsuit against one of his donors, Nate Paul.
2. Article 2, disregard of official duty - Paxton issued opinions that helped Nate Paul avoid foreclosures on properties owned by Paul.
3. Article 3, disregard of official duty - Paxton ordered State employees to not follow Texas' open records laws.
4. Article 4, disregard of official duty - Paxton abused public information laws to benefit Nate Paul.
5. Article 5, disregard of official duty - Paxton hired cronies to work for the State Attorney General's office to abuse the grand gury system for the benefit of Nate Paul.
6. Article 6, disregard of official duty - Paxton fired employees who had filed complaints in 2020 about Paxton's behavior which violated the Texas Whistleblower Act.
7. Article 7, misapplication of public resources - Paxton used State employees to retaliate against the whisteblowers and to issue a report that "cleared" Paxton of the accusations made by the whistleblowers.
8. Article 8, disregard of official duty - Paxton did not recuse himself from the efforts to come to a settlement with the whistleblowers. The settlement would pay $3.3 million to the whistleblowers and would include an NDA that prevented the whistleblowers from publicly discussing the accusations against Paxton. This may have helped Paxton get re-elected in 2022, since the public was not given all of the facts about the accusations against Paxton.
9. Article 9, constitutional bribery - Paxton was having an affair with a female lobbyist. He got Nate Paul to hire the woman.
10. Article 10, constitutional bribery - Nate Paul paid to remodel Paxton's home.
11. Article 11, obstruction of justice - Paxton was under indictment for securities fraud when he was elected in 2014. He's obstructed the investigation so that he's avoided trial for 8 years.
12. Article 12, obstruction of justice - Another Paxton donor, Jeff Blackard, conspired with Paxton to use legal action to further Paxton's trial for securities fraud.
13. Article 13, false statements in official records - Paxton lied to the State Securities Board regarding his promotion of stocks for sale which led to his indictment for securities fraud.
14. Article 14, false statements in official records - Paxton lied on financial disclosure forms required by State law.
15. Article 15, false statements in official records - Paxton lied during the investigation of the whistleblower accusatoins.
16. Article 16, conspiracy and attempted conspiracy - Paxton conspired with other people in connection with the crimes detailed in the previous Articles.
17. Article 17, misappropriation of public resources - Paxton used Texas state workers to do work to benefit Paxton's donors.
18. Article 18, dereliction of duty - Paxton's actions in the Articles violated his oath of office.
19. Article 19, unfitness for office - Paxton committed public and private actions that make him unfit to serve as Attorney General.
20. Article 20, abuse of public trust - Paxton abused his office as Attorney General and brought the attorney general’s office “into scandal and disrepute".

 

[KaraBulut]

And while the media was breathlessly obsession about Trump this week, the State of Illinois released a report detailing over 2,000 cases of sexual abuse that were covered up by the Catholic Church:

Sex Abuse in Catholic Church: Over 1,900 Minors Abused in Illinois, State Says

A new report by the attorney general of Illinois covering decades names more than 450 credibly accused sexual abusers, including priests and lay religious brothers.

www.nytimes.com

Sex Abuse in Catholic Church: Over 1,900 Minors Abused in Illinois, State Says

A new report by the attorney general of Illinois covering decades names more than 450 credibly accused sexual abusers, including priests and lay religious brothers.

 

[TX-Beau]

I dunno. The House vote was 121-23 in the Texas House. Paxton has enemies. At this point, his dog probably wants him gone, too.
View attachment 2075036

The Senate vote is going to be weird. His wife (the one he cheated on with the lobbyist) is a member of the Texas Senate.

I think he's going to be convicted by the Texas Senate. News reports say that Paxton was calling House members while they were on the floor threatening to make it difficult for them to get re-elected. Paxton has the Nutty-Fundie base (which is a big part of the Republican primary voters in Texas) but there's been enough unseemly shit that gets uncovered, I think the Texas Senate will dump him and he'll finally get the trial that he's managed to stall for 6 years.

I've seen a lot of office politics involving shady people. This reminds me of cases where shady powerful people were protecting other shady powerful people... until they weren't. Paxton pissed off somebody in power. Somebody in power has decided that Paxton has gotten to big for his britches and they were hoping that the Texas voters would dump him in 2022. Since Paxton was re-elected in 2022, the powers-that-be used a Texas House investigation to build Paxton's coffin. I suspect those same people will be out buying nails for Texas Senators to nail the coffin shut.

Other possible explanation: some rich donor in Texas has told Abbott, Patrick and Phelan to get rid of Paxton.

Here's the 20 articles in the impeachment motion. It's tawdry stuff.

1. Article 1, disregard of official duty - Paxton had employees in his office intervene in a lawsuit against one of his donors, Nate Paul.
2. Article 2, disregard of official duty - Paxton issued opinions that helped Nate Paul avoid foreclosures on properties owned by Paul.
3. Article 3, disregard of official duty - Paxton ordered State employees to not follow Texas' open records laws.
4. Article 4, disregard of official duty - Paxton abused public information laws to benefit Nate Paul.
5. Article 5, disregard of official duty - Paxton hired cronies to work for the State Attorney General's office to abuse the grand gury system for the benefit of Nate Paul.
6. Article 6, disregard of official duty - Paxton fired employees who had filed complaints in 2020 about Paxton's behavior which violated the Texas Whistleblower Act.
7. Article 7, misapplication of public resources - Paxton used State employees to retaliate against the whisteblowers and to issue a report that "cleared" Paxton of the accusations made by the whistleblowers.
8. Article 8, disregard of official duty - Paxton did not recuse himself from the efforts to come to a settlement with the whistleblowers. The settlement would pay $3.3 million to the whistleblowers and would include an NDA that prevented the whistleblowers from publicly discussing the accusations against Paxton. This may have helped Paxton get re-elected in 2022, since the public was not given all of the facts about the accusations against Paxton.
9. Article 9, constitutional bribery - Paxton was having an affair with a female lobbyist. He got Nate Paul to hire the woman.
10. Article 10, constitutional bribery - Nate Paul paid to remodel Paxton's home.
11. Article 11, obstruction of justice - Paxton was under indictment for securities fraud when he was elected in 2014. He's obstructed the investigation so that he's avoided trial for 8 years.
12. Article 12, obstruction of justice - Another Paxton donor, Jeff Blackard, conspired with Paxton to use legal action to further Paxton's trial for securities fraud.
13. Article 13, false statements in official records - Paxton lied to the State Securities Board regarding his promotion of stocks for sale which led to his indictment for securities fraud.
14. Article 14, false statements in official records - Paxton lied on financial disclosure forms required by State law.
15. Article 15, false statements in official records - Paxton lied during the investigation of the whistleblower accusatoins.
16. Article 16, conspiracy and attempted conspiracy - Paxton conspired with other people in connection with the crimes detailed in the previous Articles.
17. Article 17, misappropriation of public resources - Paxton used Texas state workers to do work to benefit Paxton's donors.
18. Article 18, dereliction of duty - Paxton's actions in the Articles violated his oath of office.
19. Article 19, unfitness for office - Paxton committed public and private actions that make him unfit to serve as Attorney General.
20. Article 20, abuse of public trust - Paxton abused his office as Attorney General and brought the attorney general’s office “into scandal and disrepute".

I was unsure that the Trogs would avail themselves of the opportunity to be rid of him until I saw the vote. If they were going to slap him on the wrist, I think that would have been a lot closer. It's still dicey, he could possibly threaten enough people to escape, but even if he does, there will be no primary win for him next time. One way or another, I think he's done.

The person he pissed off was Abbot, he put the 'pubs in a position to take the hit for his crimes.

And there are still Federal charges pending.

 

[smokeshadow]

I dunno. The House vote was 121-23 in the Texas House. Paxton has enemies. At this point, his dog probably wants him gone, too.
View attachment 2075036

The Senate vote is going to be weird. His wife (the one he cheated on with the lobbyist) is a member of the Texas Senate.

I think he's going to be convicted by the Texas Senate. News reports say that Paxton was calling House members while they were on the floor threatening to make it difficult for them to get re-elected. Paxton has the Nutty-Fundie base (which is a big part of the Republican primary voters in Texas) but there's been enough unseemly shit that gets uncovered, I think the Texas Senate will dump him and he'll finally get the trial that he's managed to stall for 6 years.

I've seen a lot of office politics involving shady people. This reminds me of cases where shady powerful people were protecting other shady powerful people... until they weren't. Paxton pissed off somebody in power. Somebody in power has decided that Paxton has gotten to big for his britches and they were hoping that the Texas voters would dump him in 2022. Since Paxton was re-elected in 2022, the powers-that-be used a Texas House investigation to build Paxton's coffin. I suspect those same people will be out buying nails for Texas Senators to nail the coffin shut.

Other possible explanation: some rich donor in Texas has told Abbott, Patrick and Phelan to get rid of Paxton.

Here's the 20 articles in the impeachment motion. It's tawdry stuff.

1. Article 1, disregard of official duty - Paxton had employees in his office intervene in a lawsuit against one of his donors, Nate Paul.
2. Article 2, disregard of official duty - Paxton issued opinions that helped Nate Paul avoid foreclosures on properties owned by Paul.
3. Article 3, disregard of official duty - Paxton ordered State employees to not follow Texas' open records laws.
4. Article 4, disregard of official duty - Paxton abused public information laws to benefit Nate Paul.
5. Article 5, disregard of official duty - Paxton hired cronies to work for the State Attorney General's office to abuse the grand gury system for the benefit of Nate Paul.
6. Article 6, disregard of official duty - Paxton fired employees who had filed complaints in 2020 about Paxton's behavior which violated the Texas Whistleblower Act.
7. Article 7, misapplication of public resources - Paxton used State employees to retaliate against the whisteblowers and to issue a report that "cleared" Paxton of the accusations made by the whistleblowers.
8. Article 8, disregard of official duty - Paxton did not recuse himself from the efforts to come to a settlement with the whistleblowers. The settlement would pay $3.3 million to the whistleblowers and would include an NDA that prevented the whistleblowers from publicly discussing the accusations against Paxton. This may have helped Paxton get re-elected in 2022, since the public was not given all of the facts about the accusations against Paxton.
9. Article 9, constitutional bribery - Paxton was having an affair with a female lobbyist. He got Nate Paul to hire the woman.
10. Article 10, constitutional bribery - Nate Paul paid to remodel Paxton's home.
11. Article 11, obstruction of justice - Paxton was under indictment for securities fraud when he was elected in 2014. He's obstructed the investigation so that he's avoided trial for 8 years.
12. Article 12, obstruction of justice - Another Paxton donor, Jeff Blackard, conspired with Paxton to use legal action to further Paxton's trial for securities fraud.
13. Article 13, false statements in official records - Paxton lied to the State Securities Board regarding his promotion of stocks for sale which led to his indictment for securities fraud.
14. Article 14, false statements in official records - Paxton lied on financial disclosure forms required by State law.
15. Article 15, false statements in official records - Paxton lied during the investigation of the whistleblower accusatoins.
16. Article 16, conspiracy and attempted conspiracy - Paxton conspired with other people in connection with the crimes detailed in the previous Articles.
17. Article 17, misappropriation of public resources - Paxton used Texas state workers to do work to benefit Paxton's donors.
18. Article 18, dereliction of duty - Paxton's actions in the Articles violated his oath of office.
19. Article 19, unfitness for office - Paxton committed public and private actions that make him unfit to serve as Attorney General.
20. Article 20, abuse of public trust - Paxton abused his office as Attorney General and brought the attorney general’s office “into scandal and disrepute".

As long as what happens with Paxton isn't a repeat of what happened with former Governor Ferguson. . .when he was impeached and convicted by the Texas house & senate, he just had his wife, Ma Ferguson, run for governor. She won

 

[KaraBulut]

As long as what happens with Paxton isn't a repeat of what happened with former Governor Ferguson. . .when he was impeached and convicted by the Texas house & senate, he just had his wife, Ma Ferguson, run for governor. She won

Thankfully, the bar owners and liquor industry aren't backing Ken Paxton any time soon like they did the Fergusons.

The bat-shit crazy evangelicals are Paxton's base. They may try to take their frustrations out in the next election cycle, but I expect that Abbott will just appoint another Christian Nationalist zealot that First Liberty, Harlan Crow and Ted Cruz favor. Matt Kacsmaryk comes to mind.

 

[rareboy]

^ Horrifying thought. But so likely.

I still am not sure why Trump or Cruz are hitching their wagons to Paxton except both of them want his voters and their cash.

 

[KaraBulut]

^ Horrifying thought. But so likely.

I still am not sure why Trump or Cruz are hitching their wagons to Paxton except both of them want his voters and their cash.

Trump thinks that if there's a question about the 2024 election, he might need Paxton's legal services (which free to Trump since they are paid by the citizens of the State of Texas).

Ted Cruz: it's a pimple on the ass of democracy. That picture of Cruz, Clarence Thomas and Jim Ho in Harlan Crow's library tells the tale. These guys know they can't get power via democracy, so they corrupt the legal system via big donor money to pursue their agenda.

 

[KaraBulut]

Oh, dear. Thoughts and prayers for CPAC!

Honestly, I've been surprised that no other men have come forward to talk about a drunken Schlapp making a pass at them.

CPAC Is Rocked by a Resignation

The treasurer of the conference’s organizer quits, citing financial mysteries around chairman Matt Schlapp, who is being sued for alleged assault.

nymag.com

A top leader in the organization that puts on CPAC, the highly influential conference of conservative leaders, resigned on Tuesday night, citing financial mysteries surrounding the organization’s leader. Bob Beauprez, the longtime treasurer of the American Conservative Union, said that he was not fully informed about money being paid for chairman Matt Schlapp’s legal defense against a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault. “I cannot deliver a financial report at the upcoming board meeting with any confidence in the accuracy of the numbers,” Beauprez wrote in a letter to the ACU’s board of directors.

In January, Carlton Huffman, a longtime Republican staffer, alleged that Schlapp, 55, groped him while they were campaigning together last fall for senate candidate Herschel Walker in Georgia. Huffman accused Schlapp of repeatedly grabbing his genitalia while he was driving the conservative activist back from a bar where Schlapp drank large quantities of vodka...

The treasurer compared his role to “that of a mushroom — ‘to be kept in the dark and fed a lot of manure,’” he wrote. “I no longer am willing to comply.”

 

[rareboy]

Ugh.

It is obvious that the man making the complaint appears terribly disturbed recounting the assault.

And as you say...how many more?

How many guys did schlapp try this on who gave him what he wanted? The others can't all have been totally willing...some would have done it because of the transactional nature of sex and favours in climbing up.

 

[KaraBulut]

Ugh.

It is obvious that the man making the complaint appears terribly disturbed recounting the assault.

And as you say...how many more?

How many guys did schlapp try this on who gave him what he wanted? The others can't all have been totally willing...some would have done it because of the transactional nature of sex and favours in climbing up.

The first time I saw Schlapp making a talking head spin on cable news over 20 years ago, back in the Bush years, I said "Gay!". He's only slightly more butch than Michele Bachmann's husband.

At first when the story came out about a "Herschel Walker staffer" making allegations, I was doutbful. Someone who was working to get an odious idiot like Walker elected was suspect. After watching the video and hearing the details - dates/places, details like Tito's vodka and specific bars mentioned- and his demeanor, it is apparent that he was disturbed by Schlapp's advances. What I don't think he's fully processed is his own powerlessness to stand up to someone who is a powerful person on the conservative far-right. I also don't think he's begun to take a look at his own part in enabling guys like Herschel Walker and Matt Schlapp; guys who use their power and their fame to do these sorts of actions without fear of consequences.

It really is important that we continue to hammer on this persistent problem with conservative Republicans and evangelical leaders. They are opportunists who take advantage of young men and women who are working as interns, staffers and volunteers. They need to be held accountable. And the people who enabled them- like Schlapp's allies on the CPAC board, need to be held accountable. Republican voters are deluding themselves, much like Democratic voters deluded themselves back in the 1970s and 1980s about members of the Democratic party who had similar drug, alcohol and bimbo/himbo problems.

 

[LoveMyPeppermill]

Tara Reade, who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault, defects to Russia

Former Senate staffer who made claim in 2020 appears on Russian media alongside convicted Russian agent in US Maria Butina

www.theguardian.com

 

[rareboy]

I think she just returned home to be with the people who originally bought and paid for her.

Good riddance.

 

[chrisdano]

Porn star Peter North tried to convince his fans that 'special effects' were used to make it look like Rick Donovan was pounding his butt.

Didn't he cum twice in that scene? I wonder if that was down to 'special effects' lol, other than Rick's big dick.

 

[smokeshadow]

another oopsie from a certain presidential candidate's campaign

'Definitely a Yellow Flag': DeSantis Campaign Rollout Could Endanger Iowa Megachurch's Tax Status

Ron DeSantis kicked off his campaign at an Iowa megachurch, whose pastor may have flouted tax-exempt laws. The Florida governor said last week he would welcome a bill to defund the IRS, but two tax law experts told The Daily Beast that he may be ignoring the Johnson Act prohibiting churches and...

www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com

 

[TX-Beau]

another oopsie from a certain presidential candidate's campaign

'Definitely a Yellow Flag': DeSantis Campaign Rollout Could Endanger Iowa Megachurch's Tax Status

Ron DeSantis kicked off his campaign at an Iowa megachurch, whose pastor may have flouted tax-exempt laws. The Florida governor said last week he would welcome a bill to defund the IRS, but two tax law experts told The Daily Beast that he may be ignoring the Johnson Act prohibiting churches and...

www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com

No one is going to care. Right-wing fundies have been violating that for decades and nothing ever happens to any of them.

 

[KaraBulut]

No one is going to care. Right-wing fundies have been violating that for decades and nothing ever happens to any of them.

Part of the Faustian bargain with the former guy was a repeal of Johnson.

A few times Trump actually bragged that "he got rid of it". When you're working with a group whose belief is built around virgins giving birth, you can tell them anything and they'll believe it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/09/president-trumps-shifting-claim-that-we-got-rid-johnson-amendment/

 

[rareboy]

No one is going to care. Right-wing fundies have been violating that for decades and nothing ever happens to any of them.

Pretty much this.

Fundamentalist churches have become political rallies for the GQP.