AUSTIN (WBAP/KLIF) – The Texas Attorney General is accusing House Speaker Dade Phelan of presiding over the house floor while drunk, and is calling on him to resign. But, a spokesperson for Phelan calls the allegations a “last ditch effort to save face” by the AG.
State Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement posted to social media on Tuesday that Texans were “dismayed” to to see House Speaker Dade Phelan presiding over the House floor, in what Paxton called, “apparent debilitating intoxication.”
Paxton said the House Speaker is “unworthy of Texans trust.” He is also calling for an ethics investigation into Phelan.
House Speaker Dade Phelan’s Office released a statement on behalf of a spokesperson in response to the allegations.
“This afternoon, the Texas House General Investigating Committee directed the issuance of a preservation letter to the Office of the Attorney General, the state agency that is the subject of “Matter A”, to ensure that all evidence relevant to the committee’s inquiry is not destroyed or concealed,” the statement read.”
Chairman Andrew Murr announced that pursuant to the committee’s hearing notification posted last Friday, the General Investigating Committee will meet in a public hearing on “Matter A” Wednesday at 8:00 AM to hear the presentation of the evidence in “Matter A”.
Committee minutes and official House records indicate the committee has been investigating “Matter A” since March.
“The motives for and timing behind Paxton’s statement today couldn’t be more evident,” Cait Wittman, Communications Director for Speaker Phelan.
According to Wittman, the Committee is conducting a thorough examination of the events tied to the firing of the whistleblowers in addition to Paxton’s alleged illegal conduct. He’s been accused of using taxpayer money to settle whistleblower lawsuits.
Committee minutes show that subpoenas have been issued.
“Paxton’s statement today amounts to little more than a last ditch effort to save face,” Wittman said.
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