Ken Paxton will not testify at his impeachment trial, attorney says
Legal Events
Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will not testify in his upcoming impeachment trial that could result in the Republican being permanently removed from office, according to his defense team.
In a lengthy statement released Monday night, Paxton’s lead attorney against criticized the proceedings that led to the GOP-controlled Texas House impeaching the state’s top law enforcement in May.
The trial in the Texas Senate is scheduled to begin Sept. 5. “They had the opportunity to have Attorney General Paxton testify during their sham investigation but refused to do so,” attorney Tony Buzbee said in a statement. “We will not bow to their evil, illegal, and unprecedented weaponization of state power in the Senate chamber.”
A spokesman for the House managers leading the impeachment did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday.
Paxton, a Republican, is temporarily suspended from office pending the outcome of his trial on 20 articles of impeachment that include charges of bribery and abuse of office. Separately, he is under FBI investigation over accusations that he used his power to help a donor. That donor was indicted in a federal court in Austin last month on charges of making false statements to banks.
Paxton is also still awaiting trial on felony securities fraud charges from 2015. He has pleaded not guilty and has never been given a deposition in the case’s eight-year history, according to impeachment managers.
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USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on NAFTA TN Status Eligibility for Economists
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it is clarifying policy guidance (PDF, 71 KB) on the specific work activities its officers should consider when determining whether an individual qualifies for TN nonimmigrant status as an economist.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) TN nonimmigrant status allows qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to temporarily enter the U.S. to engage in specific professional activities, including the occupation of economist. The agreement, however, does not define the term economist, resulting in inconsistent decisions on whether certain analysts and financial professionals qualify for TN status as economists.
TN nonimmigrant status is intended to allow a limited number of professionals and specialists to work temporarily in certain specifically identified occupations in the United States. This updated guidance provides USCIS officers with a specific definition of one such category – economists – allowing them to adjudicate applications in a way that complies with the intent of the agreement. This policy update clarifies that professional economists requesting TN status must engage primarily in activities consistent with the profession of an economist. Individuals who work primarily in other occupations related to the field of economics — such as financial analysts, marketing analysts, and market research analysts — are not eligible for classification as a TN economist.