HOME > 2023 > September

Paxton Impeachment Trial: TOP Condemns Cowardly Acquittal

September 16, 2023

A Failure of Democracy, Far-Right Extremism is Emboldened, & A Win For Voter Suppression

Today’s sham acquittal of Ken Paxton is an affront to the rule of law and a betrayal of every democratic principle we hold dear. Paxton has proven himself unfit for office, throughout his tenure he used his role to service wealthy donors and a far-right extremist agenda. A Trump and MAGA acolyte, who participated at the January 6th rally ahead of the insurrection at the Capitol and wasted at least $45,000 of taxpayer dollars trying to overturn the 2020 election, Paxton is still also under indictment for securities fraud which has been an ongoing investigation since 2015.

The following is a joint statement from Texas Organizing Project (TOP) Co-Executive Directors Brianna Brown and Michelle Tremillo, on Paxton not being convicted on any of the 16 articles of impeachment:

Michelle Tremillo stated, “From Trump, to Clarence Thomas, and now Paxton, we are witnessing a grand display of the normalization of corruption and far-right extremism. This must stop.”

Brianna Brown added, “Paxton isn’t just a singular corrupt individual; he’s part of a larger corrupt ecosystem that has compromised healthcare for millions, endangered the basic rights of millions, and eroded the very foundations of democracy. We’re sick of Texas being the GOP’s lab for anti-democratic policies while their party leaders erase decades of progress.”

With this trial outcome, TOP calls on the Texas State Bar to revoke Ken Paxton’s license to practice law. While the Attorney General of Texas does not need to be a licensed attorney, the revocation of his license would force Paxton to delegate critical responsibilities, further highlighting his unfitness for office.

Additionally, because of this acquittal verdict, we’re forced to place our hope in federal institutions to do what our state elected officials lacked the courage to do in rooting out political corruption. The FBI’s ongoing investigation into Paxton is a small beacon of hope that justice may yet prevail.

This acquittal is also a wake-up call. TOP will continue to do what we do best: organize and mobilize Black and Latino communities across Texas. Come November 2026, we’ll defeat Paxton at the ballot box, if he isn’t already found guilty in his securities fraud trial, of course. We demand better, and we will continue the fight to elect officials who represent the democratic principles and human decency that Texas and the U.S. deserve.

###

About Texas Organizing Project

Texas Organizing Project (TOP) organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.

HOME > 2023 > September

TOP reflects as National Hispanic Heritage Month starts

September 15, 2023

The following is a statement from Michelle Tremillo, Texas Organizing Project (TOP) Co-Executive Director, on the organization’s observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month this year:

“This month and every month, TOP celebrates the lives, contributions, and sacrifices of those across our diverse Latino communities whose resilience and tenacity has shaped the United States and our society for generations.

“It is the vibrancy of our Latinidad – inclusive of and strengthened by our Afro-Latino and Indigenous brothers and sisters – that strikes fear into the hearts of not just far-right extremists, but corporate bosses who for centuries have wielded racial capitalism to divide us.

“As an organization committed to racial and economic justice, we’re not playing their colonial game entrenched in anti-Blackness and colorism; we’re flipping the script because we know the fates of Black and Latino Americans are inextricably linked.

“Attaining our collective liberation will require an unshakeable solidarity that spans race, gender, age, background, language, and economic status – a solidarity ingrained in TOP’s mission and demonstrated every day in the communities we organize.

“This is how we build our movement – by affirming that we are stronger together. This is how we create the Texas of our dreams where every person can thrive, a Texas for all.”

Julie Vazquez, TOP board member from Dallas County, added:

“GOP “leaders” like Gov. Greg Abbott and Donald Trump try to marginalize us at every turn, because they know the sheer power of our communities and how we are a threat to the status quo.

“Latinos are now more than 63 million strong nationwide, with 12 million of us residing in Texas alone, officially making up the biggest share of our state’s population as of this year.

“It is on us to bring our best selves to this fight for the future Black, Latino, and all Texans deserve; a future where healthcare is more accessible, housing is more affordable, public education is more supported, and our legal system is more just. TOP remains unwavering in showing up to this fight and doing the gritty on-the-ground organizing work needed to win.”

###

About Texas Organizing Project:

TOP organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.

HOME > 2023 > September

TOP statement on latest DACA court ruling

September 14, 2023

The following statement is from Damaris Gonzalez, Statewide Immigration Lead Organizer of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), in reaction to U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen once again ruling against the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:

“Conservative judges like Andrew Hanen can keep issuing awful rulings, but the truth is no legal challenge will ever break our movement for liberation.

“No person — regardless of race, documentation status, or nationality — should have to endure this legal limbo, where our basic humanity is called into question with every lawsuit rooted in white supremacy that Republicans file against DACA.

“Each passing day of congressional inaction on passing permanent protections for DACA recipients is an insult to migrant families that contribute to and move this country forward.

“We demand the Biden administration now urge leaders in the U.S. House and Senate to prioritize a pathway to citizenship for not only DACA recipients, but for the 11 million migrants who fuel our country and who for years have been living in fear of deportation. Every legal option must be exhausted to ensure that Dreamers such as myself have the freedom to thrive in this country that we call home.”

###

About Texas Organizing Project:TOP organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.

HOME > 2023 > September

TOP Calls For Paxton Accountability As Impeachment Trial Set To Begin

September 4, 2023

Former Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has proven himself unfit for leadership time and time again. During his tenure, Paxton abused the power of this office, using his role to service wealthy donors and a far-right agenda. A Trump and MAGA acolyte, who participated at the January 6th rally ahead of the insurrection at the Capitol, he has also been under indictment for securities fraud since 2015. The following is a joint statement from Texas Organizing Project (TOP) Co-Executive Directors, Brianna Brown and Michelle Tremillo, on the start of Paxton’s impeachment trial:

Brianna Brown, TOP Co-Executive Director, said, “Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial is not just a reckoning for one man’s corruption; it’s a referendum on an Attorney General who has consistently made life harder for many Texans, particularly Black and Latino communities. From voter suppression to leading the effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, his record is a laundry list of policies that harm the most vulnerable Texans. And let’s not forget Paxton’s audacious attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, another glaring example of his willingness to undermine democracy for political gain. Paxton’s behavior is a betrayal of Texans’ trust and an affront to the principles of justice and fairness that should guide any Attorney General.”

Michelle Tremillo, TOP Co-Executive Director, emphasized, “Unlike Paxton, Texas deserves an Attorney General who actively champions voter engagement and defends democracy. Our communities want an Attorney General who fights voter suppression under the Americans with Disabilities Act and protects constitutional rights by scrutinizing counties that criminalize voting. It’s time for an Attorney General who serves the interests of all Texans and expands access to the ballot box.”

The Paxton impeachment trial is an essential step in restoring Texans’ faith in democratic institutions and ensuring that future elected officials know that if they exploit their powerful positions for personal gain, there will be consequences.

###

About Texas Organizing Project

HOME > 2023 > September

TOP Commemorates Labor Day

The following is a statement from Trent Breitung, Staff Union President of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), on the organization’s observance of Labor Day this year:

“Like clockwork, Texas Republican electeds — including of course Gov. Greg Abbott — will take to social media today to wish their constituents a happy Labor Day, and all while supporting a law they designed to block local governments from enacting measures such as greater labor protections for everyday Texans.

“The cognitive dissonance is asinine, but completely on-brand for politicians who are terrified of working Texans, especially Black and Latino Texans, having access to such “outlandish perks,” like water breaks on the job, paid sick leave, and safeguards against eviction.

“Plain and simple, it’s OUR labor that drives this state forward each and every day — and no matter our age, race, place, gender, who you love, or who you pray to, we as Texans know our worth, and we are worth so much more than what these electeds who are undercutting workers’ rights would have us believe.

“A unionized workplace, TOP prides itself in showing solidarity with Black and Latino labor allies across the state and nation, as we collectively fight egregious policies attacking our communities and strive to ensure an equitable, dignified work environment for every person who calls this country home.”

Perla Garcia, TOP board member from Harris County, added:

“Despite what our governor and his GOP cronies tell us, Texans want legislation that will uplift the humanity of workers and allow them to earn a living wage, so that they can better provide for their families. We’re ready for it; we’re fighting for it.

“Workers’ rights — regardless of our nationality, faith, or color of our skin — are human rights, and under a true Texas For All that we one day will reach, these rights will be expanded and fully enshrined.”

###

About Texas Organizing Project:

SIGN UP