Gov. Abbott appoints another temporary Texas attorney general after interim resigns

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott appointed yet another temporary Texas attorney general on Monday following the resignation of his prior pick, John Scott.

Abbott tabbed Angela Colmenero, his deputy chief of staff, to fill the job while Ken Paxton faces an impeachment trial in the Senate that begins Sept. 5. Colmenero’s tenure begins at 10 a.m. Friday. She’s believed to be the first woman to hold the post of attorney general, according to capitol observers and researchers.

It was not immediately clear why Scott resigned a little more than a month into the role. In a text message, Scott said he understood he would serve for a short period of time.

“Gov. Abbott honored my request which allows me to return to working as a consultant, attorney and board member for a broad variety of companies,” he said.

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Scott was registered as a lobbyist this year. His clients included a military technology company, a Frisco anti-abortion organization and South Texas College.

Abbott said in a statement that Scott “faithfully executed” the interim attorney general duties.

“I thank him for his leadership in stepping up to serve his fellow Texans in this role,” he said. “Angela’s record of experience in state government and expertise in litigation will help her oversee the Texas Attorney General’s Office and serve as our state’s top law enforcement officer as the Texas Senate conducts impeachment proceedings.”

The change in leadership comes as many key agency personnel take leave from the attorney general’s office to defend their boss.

The Republican governor picked Scott, a Fort Worth attorney, on May 31, four days after the House voted to impeach Paxton on 20 articles of impeachment that accused him of bribery, abuse of office and other misconduct. Paxton is suspended from his job pending the outcome of the Senate trial.

The governor has the power to appoint an interim attorney general. Colmenero served several leadership positions in the state attorney general’s office for a decade, the release noted, including as chief of the general litigation division and deputy chief of the special litigation division.

Colmenero first worked for Abbott in 2009 when he served as attorney general before he was elected governor in 2014, according to her LinkedIn page. She worked with the agency until 2018 and then moved to the governor’s office in 2018.

“I was part of the core team that directed Texas’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including advising on the exercise of emergency management powers and guiding the implementation of $16 billion in COVID-related federal funding to Texas,” she wrote on LinkedIn.

This will be the third person who has temporarily served as the state’s top lawyer since Paxton’s impeachment vote in the House.

Following the vote, First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster sent a letter to agency staff saying he would lead the agency in Paxton’s absence. Then Abbott appointed Scott soon after. The move received criticism because of the role Scott played in implementing a sweeping election law that was passed by the Legislature following former President Donald Trump’s election loss.

In 2022, while serving as secretary of state between legislative sessions, Scott praised 2,000 Mules, a widely debunked film that claims the 2020 election was stolen due to widespread voter fraud. Scott later said he believed Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Scott resigned as secretary of state at the end of 2022.

The attorney general of Texas is responsible for defending laws and the state constitution, representing the state in litigation and approving public bond issues. Other responsibilities include issuing legal opinions whenever they are requested by the governor, state agency leaders or other officials. The opinions are nonbinding and don’t have the weight of law.

In the short time he served as attorney general, Scott filed a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s recent update to Title IX, which expanded protections to include gender identity and sexual orientation.

Paxton, who was elected to a third term in November, also faces criminal charges alleging felony securities fraud. Recently, a state judge ruled that the trial could be held in Harris County.