AUSTIN, Texas — Impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton was dealt a blow by the GOP-controlled state Senate when enough Republicans sided with Democrats and denied all 10 attempts by his defense attorney to block the trial from proceeding.
Paxton's team attempted to block the state Senate from deciding whether the third-term conservative lawyer was guilty on 16 articles of impeachment but failed in every attempt, allowing the trial to commence around noon local time.
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The nation's eyes will be on the state Senate as lawmakers start a historic trial that will decide the fate of Paxton, who was suspended without pay after the state House impeached him on 20 counts in May.
Paxton, 60, faces a slew of charges related to corruption allegations, including bribery and abuse of public trust.
Paxton was present before the start of the trial Tuesday morning and greeted fellow Republicans in the chamber and embraced his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, before the proceedings started promptly at 9 a.m. local time.
Both Paxtons turned and acknowledged a small group of supporters in the gallery behind them, waving to spectators in red shirts.
Paxton, an ally of former President Donald Trump, was temporarily stripped of his duties in May as the state's chief legal official and could be permanently banished from public service and face criminal charges if found guilty of corruption allegations.
Ahead of the trial, spectators gathered outside the state Capitol and formed a line as they waited to be admitted into the building.
Dozens of state troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety were on-site outside the building, inside entrances, and in the third-floor corridors, where spectators passed through and throughout the Senate chamber.
Only a few protesters were present outside the Capitol, including one man with a sign that read, "Restore honor and integrity to your party. Convict him."
Paxton's team requested a pretrial vote to throw out all articles of impeachment on the basis that there was no evidence to corroborate the allegations. The largely Republican Senate voted 24-6 against Paxton on that effort.
Any motion or vote during the trial requires two-thirds Senate support. All but one Republican, Angela Paxton, will vote, meaning 21 senators would have to vote in the affirmative for a measure to pass.
Just 12 of the 31 total senators are Democrats. The 19 Republican senators were divided evenly, but enough voted against Paxton in the pretrial proceedings to serve as an early indicator of troubles ahead for Paxton.
The Paxton camp continued to push motions to block the trial but failed in all 10 of the motions.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is overseeing the trial and outlined protocols for the proceedings.
"There has been much discussion on the impeachment rule, especially No. 17 on time and attention. Each side of the House managers and the Attorney General Paxton has one hour for opening statements, 24 hours for presentation of evidence, one hour for rebuttal evidence, and one hour for final arguments."
Paxton has served alongside Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) since 2015, and he has been a driving force behind the Lone Star State's and multistate lawsuits aimed at the Biden administration.
Paxton has brought more lawsuits against Washington than any other red state, but his all-out attack on Washington has been put on pause as he attempts to clear his name.
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The extraordinary events surrounding the impeachment could be a sign that Trump is losing sway over the grassroots of the Republican Party, based on the party's overwhelming willingness to go after one of its own, according to three GOP operatives who spoke with the Washington Examiner in June.
Paxton is only the third official in the state's 200 years to be impeached.