Ken Paxton and the Texas Constitution

Republicans once believed in the rule of law. My party had confidence in the U.S. and Texas constitutions and the processes and freedoms they recognize and protect. That’s why it’s shocking to see some Republicans—through a coordinated effort of texts, emails and social-media posts—working to delegitimize the impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Ken Paxton. It points to an important question: Do we trust the processes outlined in our Texas Constitution or not?

As a sitting governor who was once wrongly indicted, I know that processes can be abused. But that isn’t what I see here. The majority of House Republicans voted to impeach Mr. Paxton, as is authorized in the Texas Constitution. Those members saw allegations of wrongdoing against a fellow Republican and felt the charges deserved a full investigation and trial. They followed their oath to uphold the Constitution, and that alone warrants careful consideration by the Senate. We should be praising, not vilifying, them for taking their responsibilities seriously.

The Texas Senate is constitutionally authorized to act as a jury in the coming trial. Only the Senate can give these allegations the full and fair hearing they deserve, and it would be a disservice to the state not to fulfill that obligation. By moving forward with the trial, the Senate will both do its duty and answer voters’ legitimate questions about the allegations against Mr. Paxton.

I’ve spent my adult life working at almost every level of public service, and it continues to hold true that you’re only as good as the people around you. By all accounts, the people around Mr. Paxton were outstanding and principled conservatives who felt duty-bound to report what they witnessed, after they had advised the attorney general that his actions were illegal or unethical. They stood for the rule of law.

These were Mr. Paxton’s own handpicked inner circle. I can tell you firsthand those staffing decisions aren’t made lightly. Throughout my time in office, I hired and worked directly with dozens of men and women who served on my senior staff. These were my political hires, people I trusted to stand by me in the trenches. While we may not have agreed on everything, they always gave me their earnest, well-founded counsel.

Choosing to disregard your inner circle’s advice is a red flag. It shows bad judgment in a leader. But bad judgment alone isn’t impeachable—unless it involves breaking the law or abuse of office. That is what we all want to discover through this trial.

Texans need a conclusive resolution to the serious allegations raised by this impeachment. We’ve come this far in the process, and it’s critical that the Senate sees it through to the end. That means a fair trial that allows both sides to lay out all the facts and gives senators the opportunity to vote based on the evidence.

All who swear an oath to serve must understand they will be held to the highest standard of integrity—particularly if they serve as a state’s top law-enforcement official. Texans can show the rest of the country that the rule of law applies to both political parties.

Mr. Perry, a Republican, served as governor of Texas, 2000-15.