Texas鈥� former Secretary of State will be at the helm of the state鈥檚 attorney general鈥檚 office following the temporary ouster last week of Republican Ken Paxton.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday appointed John Scott to temporarily lead the office following Paxton鈥檚 impeachment Saturday by the Texas House of representatives.
In a statement Abbott praised Scott鈥檚 experience and noted he served as deputy attorney general for civil litigation when Abbott was attorney general prior to being elected governor.
鈥淗is decades of experience and expertise in litigation will help guide him while serving as the state鈥檚 top law enforcement officer,鈥� Abbott said in a statement.
Scott is a Fort Worth native with more than three decades of legal practice under his belt, Abbott added. That includes litigating more than 100 lawsuits and arguing before the U.S. and state supreme courts and several federal appellate courts, Abbott added.
His appointment comes after Paxton, who was first elected in 2014, was temporarily removed from office after Texas House leadership presented to its members 20 articles of impeachment alleging Paxton abused his office and committed bribery, among other allegations. The Texas Senate will convene for a trial this summer that will decide whether to permanently remove Paxton.
Scott鈥檚 stint as Texas Secretary of State lasted about a year, beginning in October 2021 and ending with his resignation in December 2022. He was replaced in that capacity by Flower Mound Republican Jane Nelson.
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