The political drama over the failed impeachment attempt against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton continues. Now, it has taken a new turn. The Republican Party of Texas is calling for the resignation of Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, who spearheaded the effort to remove Paxton from office.

Phelan and Republican state lawmakers who sided with him have been under constant attacks from Paxton supporters, who accused these individuals of being motivated by politics. Now, the state GOP is taking the war of words even further.

In a nearly unanimous vote, the leaders of the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) approved a resolution Saturday calling on the speaker of the Texas House, Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, to resign.

At a quarterly meeting held in Corpus Christi, members of the RPT’s Senate Republican Executive Committee (SREC) voted 58-2 to approve a resolution condemning Phelan for pushing through a rushed impeachment vote of Attorney General Ken Paxton – and pressuring members to vote for it – as well as voting for it himself. The resolution also condemns him for appointing Democrats to chair key committees who blocked conservative bills.

The resolution states, “Speaker Dade Phelan voted for the impeachment of Attorney General Warren Kenneth Paxton and through his leadership team pressured other House members to vote for the impeachment as well, and continues to defend this action despite the weaknesses of the case as demonstrated in the Senate trial that resulted in General Paxton’s acquittal.”

The resolution also attacks Phelan for his failure to prioritize legislation related to issues important to Texans, like border security and election integrity. Of particular contention was House Bill 20, which Phelan indicated would be a top priority, but failed due to a procedural objection. The resolution calls for new leadership in the state House to ensure that those in office are pursuing worthwhile legislation instead of engaging in politics.

After Paxton was acquitted in the impeachment trial, Phelan penned an op-ed defending his stance and accusing pro-Paxton elements among Republicans of rigging the process.

In hindsight, no one should be surprised. The warning signs were there. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who led us to believe he would preside over this trial in a fair and just manner, took a whopping $3 million donation from a Political Action Committee pushing for Paxton’s exoneration before the trial even began. Patrick instituted a halfhearted gag order that tied the hands of House Members, who wanted to make their case to constituents. Patrick caved to demands from Paxton that he and other key witnesses, including Paxton’s mistress, should not have to testify. Patrick neglected to enforce key subpoenas that would have led to important evidence coming to light in the trial. And after the final vote was taken, Patrick railed against the House for acting in the best interest of the state to initiate the impeachment in the first place. So, for the armchair legal strategists opining on what should have been done differently, I’d remind them there is nothing else that could have been done -- the fix was in from the start.

Phelan argued that his rationale behind the impeachment effort was justified because of the existence of evidence against Paxton, including bribery and other offenses. He said the proof was enough to warrant a more extensive investigation.

The attorney general remains the subject of multiple lawsuits, investigations, and a pending indictment from the Securities and Exchange Commission. As for Paxton, he celebrated his acquittal by lashing out at his political enemies and even indicating that he might run for Senate.