The Houston-based attorneys are legends in their own right, having participated in numerous high-profile criminal and civil matters.
Robert Downen
Robert Downen was a reporter covering democracy and the threats to it, including extremism, disinformation and conspiracies. Before joining the Tribune in 2022, he worked for five years at the Houston Chronicle. As a Hearst Media fellow, he developed what would become "Abuse of Faith," a landmark investigation into child sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention that prompted a Department of Justice investigation. Before coming to Texas, Robert was a business reporter in New York's capital region and the managing editor of six newspapers in his home state of Illinois. He is a 2014 graduate of Eastern Illinois University.
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Ken Paxton Impeachment
Donald Trump Jr., conservative Republicans ride to Ken Paxton’s defense on eve of impeachment vote
Supporters of the attorney general portray Saturday’s impeachment vote as a political witch hunt meant to sideline President Joe Biden’s biggest headache.
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Politics
Stewart Rhodes, the Texas-based leader of the Oath Keepers militia, given 18 years in prison for sedition
Rhodes was among the many Texans who played key roles in fomenting, planning or fueling the Jan. 6, 2021, violence at the U.S. Capitol.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Unlicensed religious chaplains may counsel students in Texas’ public schools after lawmakers OK proposal
Opponents fear the bill is a “Trojan horse” for evangelizing kids and will worsen the state’s mental health crisis through disproven counseling approaches.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Bill requiring Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms fails in House after missing crucial deadline
Senate Bill 1515 was one of several legislative attempts by conservative Christians to center public life around their religious views.
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Allen Mall Shooting
“Right wing death squad”: What to know about the Allen shooter’s neo-Nazi views
The shooter’s “RWDS” patch offers troubling clues about his ideology — and how it connects to views that are common among white supremacists.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas House expels Bryan Slaton, first member ousted since 1927
The unanimous vote followed an investigation that determined the Royse City Republican had engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with an aide.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Conservative Christians want more religion in public life. Texas lawmakers are listening.
Opponents of church-state separation have been emboldened by recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and the growing acceptance of Christian nationalism on the right.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas Senate passes bill limiting farmland sales to China, other countries
The amended bill is a dramatically watered-down version of an earlier proposal that sought to ban land and home purchases by citizens of China and three other countries.
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Politics
Houston GOP activist knew for years of child sex abuse claims against Southern Baptist leader, law partner
Under oath, outspoken anti-gay activist Jared Woodfill said he was told in 2004 that Paul Pressler had sexually abused a minor. But Woodfill did not cut ties with the Southern Baptist leader — and said he had no knowledge of Pressler’s alleged behavior when another young man came forward about alleged sexual misconduct in 2016.