What is Dade Phelan Hiding from Taxpayers?

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐀𝐗𝐏𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐒?  One year ago, the House Impeachment trial began, and despite Dade Phelan hiring a team of high-priced lawyers to prosecute Attorney General Ken Paxton, the trial in the Senate ended in an acquittal. The House's high-priced lawyers failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.   Unlike House impeachments over the last 100 years, this time, the House threw transparency and due process out the window. They had a committee meet in secret where they broke all precedent by not holding public hearings, not putting their witnesses under oath or allowing cross-examination, and they did not allow the attorney general to present evidence or have a lawyer present. Naturally, when their witnesses actually had to testify under oath and cross-examination in the Senate trial, they fell flat on the witness stand.   Dade & House members were warned by House Rep. John Smithee, an experienced and highly respected lawyer, and others not to bring an impeachment forward because they didn't have evidence. If you have yet to see his speech, it's a must-watch. It is one of the most courageous floor speeches in House history, a member taking on their Speaker. After the trial, I said the House and Senate must audit their preparation and trial expenses so taxpayers know what the impeachment cost them. I complied immediately. The Senate spent $435K total for two months of preparation and the trial itself.   Dade Phelan has 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃 to comply with the audit for almost a year now, and apparently, he doesn't believe he needs to tell taxpayers how much he spent on the impeachment. I'm not aware of any legislator refusing to tell taxpayers how they spent taxpayer money.   What is Dade Phelan afraid to show the public? Millions upon millions of your money, spent on high-priced private lawyers who lost the case, in addition to his costly state expenses.   Last year, Dade impeached Attorney General Paxton in the time it takes to smoke a brisket on a holiday weekend. The members were given little time and virtually no information before being asked to vote. Dade sloppily slammed it through the House and lost in the Senate.   Now, for nearly a year, he refuses to tell taxpayers how much he cost them. Dade, what are you hiding?   Dade, the public demands transparency. Taxpayers are saying show me the money now! #txlege Here is a link to House Rep. John Smithee's speech:

(written by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick)

According to reports, the impeachment cost Texas taxpayers approximately $4.2 million. This figure includes legal fees, with a significant portion spent on lawyers hired by the House to prosecute Paxton. There's been considerable backlash regarding the cost. Critics argue that this expenditure represents a misuse of taxpayer funds for what they perceive as a politically motivated impeachment. For instance, there were calls for Phelan and others involved to reimburse the state, complaining the use of taxpayer funds was misused for a political vendetta in order to replace the AG with George P Bush.

The spending on the impeachment has become a point of contention within Texas politics, with figures like Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick criticizing the House for what he described as a rushed and secretive process that wasted taxpayer money. This has contributed to around criticisms surrounding Phelan's leadership and decision-making. There's been a call for transparency regarding the costs of the impeachment, with some suggesting that Phelan has been slow to roll out and disclose full financial details of the impeachment process. An audit has been requested to review the expenditures, indicating a demand for accountability in how public funds were utilized during this political event