Following Jeb Bush’s suspension of his presidential campaign, a super PAC supporting him canceled its entire media campaign in Texas.
campaign finance
Posted in
Politics
Analysis: Is Attorney General Ken Paxton Feeling Lucky?
It’s possible to imagine a way for the attorney general to raise money for a legal defense fund, but it’s perilous without a favorable advisory opinion from ethics regulators. And they decided this week not to approve such an opinion.
Posted inState Government
Fracking Billionaire Emerges as Key Donor in Texas House Races
Members of the Wilks family in Cisco, already heavily invested in Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign, are also vying to play an outsized role in several key Texas House races, according to the latest campaign finance data.
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Politics
Money Pours into Texas Politicians’ Campaign Accounts
The first significant campaign finance disclosures of this primary election season were due at midnight Friday, and candidate reports trickled into the Texas Ethics Commission’s online system over the weekend. Here’s a first look at some significant reports.
Posted in
The Ticket
The Ticket: The Past, Present and Future of Campaign Finance
This week on The Ticket: The Tribune’s Jay Root and KUT’s Ben Philpott dive into the billions of dollars flowing through our campaign finance system.
Posted in
Politics
Analysis: Don’t Overlook Abbott’s Fundraising Feat
Before you move on to other news, stop for a moment and consider the mind-boggling campaign finance report turned in this week by Gov. Greg Abbott. For nine days in June, he raised money faster than most presidential candidates.
Posted in
Politics
Analysis: Should We Take Judges Out of the Fundraising Business?
The U.S. Supreme Court says it’s okay for states to bar judges from raising their own campaign cash. A lot of judges (and lawyers, too) think that’s a pretty good idea that Texas might want to consider.
Posted in
Politics
Analysis: Shock Therapy From an Ethics Reformer
A frustrated regulator’s letter suggesting the state drop enforcement of its ethics laws might spark some legislative action. That would be a gift for Gov. Greg Abbott, who wants ethics to be a signature issue this session.
Posted in
Politics
Clancy: Ethics Commission Should Stop Enforcing Law
The Texas Ethics Commission can’t do its job if compliance is “wholly voluntary,” says one member who thinks the commission should stop all enforcement activities in response to a judge’s recent dismissal of its ruling against conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan.
Posted inState Government
A Peek Into Political Pocketbooks in Texas
Where’s the money in Texas politics? Well, bank balances are one measure, and here are the top 50 from candidate and political action committee reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission.
