Tit-For-Tat in Texas: Probe Into AG After Accusations That Speaker Was Drunk on Job

Texas state lawmakers on Tuesday announced a corruption probe into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, one day after Paxton called for the resignation of House Speaker Dade Phelan, accusing Phelan of being intoxicated during a session.

A video — reviewed by The Messenger — shows Phelan slurring his words during a House session, in what Paxton called, a "state of apparent debilitating intoxication."

“His conduct has negatively impacted the legislative process and constitutes a failure to live up to his duty to the public,” Paxton wrote.

Paxton also wrote a letter to the House panel calling to investigate Phelan "for violation of House rules, state law, and for conduct unbecoming his position."

Phelan, through his spokesperson, blasted back that Paxton's claim "amounts to little more than a last ditch effort to save face.”

On Tuesday, the day after Paxton's accusation of intoxication, Phelan's spokesperson gave a statement that a House General Investigating Committee has been looking into bribery and abuse of office accusations from Paxton’s former staff.

Paxton had addressed the accusations in February, agreeing to apologize and pay $3.3 million in taxpayer money to the former staffers. Lawmakers have yet to approve that transaction.

And since this past March, the spokesperson said, the panel has been “conducting a thorough examination" of Paxton. The FBI is already investigating the matter, according to the Associated Press.