John B. Scott (Texas politician)
John B. Scott | |
---|---|
Attorney General of Texas | |
Interim May 31, 2023 – July 14, 2023 Served during Ken Paxton's suspension | |
Governor | Greg Abbott |
Preceded by | Brent Webster (acting) |
Succeeded by | Angela Colmenero (interim) |
114th Secretary of State of Texas | |
In office October 21, 2021 – December 31, 2022 | |
Governor | Greg Abbott |
Preceded by | Ruth R. Hughs Joe Esparza (acting) |
Succeeded by | Jane Nelson |
Personal details | |
Political party | Republican |
Education | University of Texas, Austin (BA) South Texas College of Law Houston (JD) |
John B. Scott is an American politician and lawyer. A member of the Republican Party, he was Secretary of State of Texas from 2021 to 2022, and was interim Texas attorney general for a brief period in 2023. Governor Greg Abbott appointed Scott to both positions.
Career
He earned a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Texas, Austin and his Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law Houston.[1]
Scott was the deputy attorney general for civil litigation in the
After the 2020 presidential election, Scott briefly represented Donald Trump in one of his many failed lawsuits that attempted to overturn the election results and keep Trump in power; the lawsuit in which Scott represented Trump specifically sought to nullify the election result in Pennsylvania, where Joe Biden defeated Trump.[2][4]
In May 2021,
After stepping down as secretary of state, Scott worked as a
On May 31, 2023, after state Attorney General Ken Paxton was automatically suspended from office upon his impeachment by the Texas House of Representatives, Abbott appointed Scott as the interim Attorney General for the period of Paxton's suspension.[8] Scott resigned on July 14, 2023, and was replaced as interim AG by Angela Colmenero, a lawyer and Abbott's deputy chief of staff.[9]
References
- ^ "Governor Abbott Names Chair and Appoints Four to Department of Information Resources". Office of the Governor of Texas (Press release). Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Barragán, James; Svitek, Patrick (October 21, 2021). "Gov. Greg Abbott's pick for top Texas election post worked with Trump to fight 2020 results". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ Holtz, Hannah (October 21, 2021). "Governor Abbott appoints new Texas Secretary of State". KCBD 11. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ Mekelburg, Madlin. "Lawyer who represented Trump in 2020 election challenge named Texas secretary of state". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ Hogan Gore, Texas Senate confirms Jane Nelson as secretary of state, two months after taking office, Austin American-Statesman (March 16, 2023).
- ^ Barragán, James (December 5, 2022). "John Scott, Texas' top elections official, to step down at end of year". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Secretary John B. Scott's Resignation Letter" (PDF). www.sos.state.tx.us. December 5, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Zach Despart & Robert Downen, Abbott taps John Scott, former Texas secretary of state, as interim attorney general, Texas Tribune (May 31, 2023).
- ^ Jake Bleiberg (July 11, 2023). "Texas governor names second interim attorney general ahead of Ken Paxton's impeachment trial". Associated Press News.