More than $4.2 million.
That鈥檚 how much Attorney General Ken Paxton鈥檚 impeachment inquiry has cost Texas. Most of that money will pay outside attorneys hired by the Texas House to prosecute the case.
Invoices obtained by The Texas Newsroom through an open records request show that the prosecution, led by notable attorneys Rusty Harding and Dick DeGuerin, billed the state about $3.7 million for their legal teams.
The overall costs are higher than a whistleblower lawsuit that spurred the historic inquiry. A group of former Paxton deputies accused him of corruption in late 2020, and then sued his office under state whistleblower laws for wrongful termination after they were fired.
The Office of the Attorney General tried to settle the lawsuit for $3.3 million. But House lawmakers refused to fund it, instead choosing to investigate Paxton for the same corruption allegations.
Paxton was ultimately , accused of abusing his office to protect a political donor. The Texas Senate of all 16 impeachment charges in September, and Paxton resumed his official duties.
The total costs of the impeachment inquiry are likely to continue to grow. For example, the documents released so far do not appear to include salaries for at least two lawyers who worked on the impeachment investigation.
The preliminary price tag is not necessarily a surprise. Prosecutors had said they were planning to bill the state over $3 million for their services.
Paxton, who won re-election to a third term last year, is a staunch conservative known for his hardline policies on abortion, immigration and LGBTQ rights.
The impeachment process, as well as its cost, sowed divisions between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, both Republicans. Patrick, who presided over the impeachment trial as judge, accused the House of rushing the process and of wasting 鈥渕illions of taxpayer dollars鈥� on the impeachment.
On Thursday, Paxton issued a statement in response to the updated cost information accusing House leadership of being 鈥渓iberal鈥� and 鈥渋neffective.鈥� He doubled down on Republican voters to oust them in next year鈥檚 elections.
鈥淰oters need to send Dade and any Representative supporting Dade home in the upcoming primaries. We need effective leadership in the House that quits embarrassing Texas and is focused on making Texas a beacon of freedom, enterprise, and opportunity,鈥� Paxton said.
Breakdown of the costs
More than $4 million of the $4.2 million costs were billed by investigators, lawyers and others working on the team seeking Paxton鈥檚 impeachment and removal from office. Most of the money went to Hardin鈥檚 team. He billed more than $3 million for at least two dozen lawyers who worked on the case, including $274,000 for himself.
The impeachment team also spent $32,000 on a PR firm, and about $4,700 on supplies and electronics.
Costs for the DeGuerin team, which had far fewer lawyers, were $471,000. Their invoices included hotel and travel costs, trial prep and hourly billing for the proceedings.
It鈥檚 unclear whether all of the invoices have been paid.
In a statement to The Texas Newsroom, DeGuerin said criticism from Paxton and Patrick over the amount the legal team charged the state 鈥渋gnores the long hours and hard work we put into this, and it ignores the importance of bringing out the evidence of Paxton鈥檚 wrongdoings and of his abuse of the office of the Texas Attorney General.鈥�
DeGuerin confirmed he has been paid.
Meanwhile, The Texas Senate has to pay nearly $200,000 in impeachment costs, including nearly $100,000 to Lana Myers, a former justice of the Texas Supreme Court who aided Patrick in proceeding over the impeachment trial, according to records obtained by The Texas Newsroom.
The Texas State Auditor鈥檚 Office that it鈥檚 conducting a special audit, requested by Patrick, into the expenses incurred by the Texas House, Senate, Office of the Attorney General, and other agencies. Patrick did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the costs.
The lawsuit that spurred the impeachment inquiry is still making its way through the courts. The whistleblowers have not received any settlement money.
In a statement issued Thursday, Phelan didn鈥檛 address the impeachment inquiry鈥檚 price tag. Instead, he defended his chamber鈥檚 decision to hire outside counsel to prosecute the impeachment case.
鈥淭he investigation, impeachment, and trial of Ken Paxton shed a clear, unflinching light on who Paxton is and the lengths to which he will go to stay in power,鈥� Phelan, R-Beaumont, said. 鈥淭he Texas House will continue to faithfully fulfil its obligation to protect the integrity of our institutions and safeguard the public鈥檚 trust.鈥�
In a statement Thursday, Rep. Andrew Murr, the chairman of the General Investigating Committee, echoed the speaker鈥檚 thoughts.
鈥淭he future of Texas's governance, rooted in trust and transparency, justifies this expenditure, reinforcing the belief that the foundations of our democracy are worth every penny,鈥� Murr said.
Copyright 2023 KUT News. To see more, visit .