Governor Greg Abbott today appointed Angela Colmenero as the interim Attorney General of Texas, under Article 15, Section 5 of the Texas Constitution, effective 10:00 AM on Friday, July 14. This announcement follows the departure of John Scott, who the Governor appointed as the short-term interim Attorney General of Texas in May. The move was made after the House voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton is scheduled for a Senate trial in September.
"John Scott faithfully executed his duties as the interim Attorney General of Texas, and I thank him for his leadership in stepping up to serve his fellow Texans in this role," said Governor Abbott. "Today, under authorities granted by the Texas Constitution, I appoint Angela Colmenero to serve as interim Attorney General of Texas. In addition to her time in the Office of the Governor, Angela served under me in the Texas Attorney General’s Office and has firsthand experience on how the agency operates. 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."
Colmenero was most recently named Governor Abbott's Deputy Chief of Staff after serving as Principal Deputy General Counsel to the Governor since November 2021. Prior to this role, she served as Deputy General Counsel to the Governor starting in September 2018. Colmenero previously held various leadership positions for nearly a decade at the Texas Attorney General’s Office, including as Chief of the General Litigation Division and Deputy Chief of the Special Litigation Division. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School and the University of Texas at Austin.
“The honor of serving as the provisional Attorney General of Texas was always with an understanding that my duration would be limited in time. Governor Abbott honored my request which allows me to return to working as a consultant, attorney and board member for a broad variety of companies," said Scott. "The women and men of the Office of the Attorney General are exceptional as are their daily efforts in representing all Texans. Working beside them these past weeks was an opportunity to again serve in an organization that was for me, the very best professional experience of my life.”