Despite having the largest warchest in Texas politics, Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Republican nominee for governor, keeps adding to it with a series of fundraisers scheduled into at least mid-October.
Jay Root
Jay Root is an award-winning journalist who reported for the Tribune from 2011 to 2020. He covered the dramatic collapse of Gov. Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign and went on to write an ebook about it called “Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail.” Root also broke the story that put the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, on the path toward criminal indictment, co-wrote an exposé that brought an end to privately funded prosecutions in Travis County, and authored a series of watchdog articles that prompted a wave of firings and resignations at two major state agencies.
In 2017, Root co-directed “Beyond The Wall,” a film exploring border politics in the age of Trump, which won a national Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary. Root’s latest film, “Border Hustle,” was released in early 2019 and reveals how desperate migrants have become cash cows on both sides of the border.
Previously, for a dozen years, Root was Austin bureau chief of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he chronicled the rise of then-Gov. George W. Bush, wrote about cartel violence in Mexico and covered Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. During a three-year stint at the Associated Press, Root was twice named AP Staff Reporter of the Year for his watchdog reporting, including a story that sparked felony charges against a sitting state representative.
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Politics
Joe Allbaugh Gets a Piece of the Pot Business
In a sign of how much the pot business has changed, Joe Allbaugh, a former GOP confidante to George W. Bush and Rick Perry, is now serving on the board of a marijuana lab company doing business in states where weed is legal.
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Politics
Davis Memoir Discusses Adversity of Childhood and Her Career
In her memoir, state Sen. Wendy Davis talks about the difficulties of her childhood, her two failed marriages and her political career.
Posted inState Government
Davis Memoir Reveals Two Terminated Pregnancies
State Sen. Wendy Davis, the Democratic candidate for governor, reveals in her new book that she terminated two pregnancies for medical reasons, both more than 15 years ago.
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Politics
For Van de Putte, Questions About Private Work, Public Role
As Sen. Leticia Van de Putte reaches for one of the most powerful jobs in Texas, the blurred lines between her private work and public role are giving rise to familiar questions in a part-time Legislature.
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Politics
Taxpayer Tab Grows for Perry’s Defense
The state tab for Gov. Rick Perry’s criminal defense, previously thought to be $80,000, has hit $133,000. Perry has said he will pay for his lawyers with campaign money from now on.
Posted inState Government
Davis Releases Second Attack Ad, On Cancer Agency
Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis is launching a second TV attack ad in the Texas governor’s race, this time criticizing Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott for his ties to companies that got cancer research grants.
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Politics
Perry Will Tap Campaign Account to Pay Attorneys
UPDATED: Gov. Rick Perry, who has been using taxpayer dollars to pay the defense lawyers fighting his felony indictments, will tap campaign funds from now on, his spokesman said Wednesday night.
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Criminal Justice
At Booking, Perry Reiterates Defense of Veto
After being booked on two felony counts — a process that took less than 10 minutes — Gov. Rick Perry again stood by his veto of public integrity unit funding and called his indictment “a chilling restraint on the right of free speech.”
Posted inState Government
Perry Expected to Be Booked Today
Travis County deputies say they expect Rick Perry to be booked between 4 and 6 p.m. on Tuesday — the same window when supporters are expected to rally at the courthouse in defense of the Texas governor.
