Governor Abbott Appoints John Scott as Interim Attorney General of Texas
May 31, 2023 | Austin, TX
Governor Greg Abbott, Interim Attorney General John Scott, and Scott’s wife, Talley
Governor Greg Abbott today appointed John Scott as the short-term interim Attorney General of Texas, under Article 15, Section 5 of the Texas Constitution.
“John Scott has the background and experience needed to step in as a short-term interim Attorney General during the time the Attorney General has been suspended from duty,” said Governor Abbott. “He served under me in the Texas Attorney General’s Office and knows how the Office of the Attorney General operates. Scott was the Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation and has handled cases at all levels of the justice system. His decades of experience and expertise in litigation will help guide him while serving as the state’s top law enforcement officer. I appoint John Scott for this role based on the Texas Constitution to serve for a temporary period during the Texas Senate’s resolution of the impeachment proceedings.”
Scott most recently served as Texas Secretary of State for Governor Abbott. Previously, he served as Texas Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation for then-Attorney General Greg Abbott, where he aided then-Attorney General Abbott’s efforts to hold the Obama Administration accountable and sue President Obama more than any other state Attorney General. Scott oversaw all civil litigation, including over 22,000 lawsuits involving Texas.
Scott has successfully tried over 100 lawsuits and has experience handling cases at the United States Supreme Court and Texas Supreme Court.
Other rumored candidates for Interim Attorney General were George P. Bush and Eva Guzman. Scott will fill the role until the Senate impeachment trial concludes.
Read more about the impeachment proceedings »
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According to Texas Scorecard, “The issue will now be sent to the Senate for a trial where he would be required to be convicted by two-thirds of the senators in order to be removed from office. Pending the outcome of that trial, Paxton will be suspended from his duties.”
Please contact your Texas Senator and ask for a NO vote on impeaching the Texas Attorney General.
Sen. Brandon Creighton (Dist. 4)
(512) 463-0104 (Austin Office)
(281) 292-4128 (District Office)
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Senator Paul Bettencourt (Dist. 7)
(512) 463-0107 (Austin Office)
(713) 464-0282 (District Office)
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Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (Dist. 18)
(512) 463-0118 (Austin Office)
(979) 251-7888 (District Office)
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