Gov. Greg Abbott has made hundreds of appointments since he took office in January 2015, but is still working his way out of a backlog to replace people whose terms expired as long as five years ago.
Texas Ethics Commission
Posted inState Government
Nifty or Shifty: A Campaign Finance Quiz
Politicians like to think of the money in their campaign accounts as their own. It’s not, but sometimes, it seems that way. Below are five actual cases where the Texas Ethics Commission has rendered its official position. Take the test: Given these situations, what do you think they can get away with?
Posted in
Politics
On Way Out of Office, Some Lawmakers Keep Spending Campaign Cash
If Texas Sen. Troy Fraser is looking for a country music song to describe his recent months in office, “I’ve Been Everywhere” might do the trick.
Posted in
Politics
Analysis: Ethics Reform on the Table — if Texas Voters Really Want It
The governor and lawmakers promise to reignite their efforts to tighten ethics laws in Texas, but they have so far been missing a key incentive to make reluctant officeholders go along: public interest.
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
Ethics Commission: Paxton May Not Accept Out-of-State Donations to Pay for Legal Fees
A Texas Ethics Commission opinion that would have allowed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to fund his ongoing legal battle through out-of-state donors failed to pass by one vote Monday.
Posted inState Government
Analysis: Ken Paxton’s Complications Multiply
Nobody’s going to force you to feel sorry for Ken Paxton, but the Republican attorney general’s political persecutions have turned into criminal prosecutions — and they are multiplying.
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Politics
Texas Gets a D- Grade in 2015 State Integrity Investigation
Texas ranked 38th out of 50 in the latest State Integrity Investigation, an assessment of government accountability and transparency. That suggests that the state may be heading in the wrong direction when it comes to ethics.
Posted in
Politics
Appeals Court Backs Ethics Commission in Dispute with Activist
A state appeals court ruled Thursday that conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan lives in Austin despite his claims otherwise, so his dispute with the state Ethics Commission will play out in Travis County.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
2015 Tribune Festival: Audio From the Open Government Track
The Open Government track at The 2015 Texas Tribune Festival featured a panel discussion on public integrity and state government and a conversation over ethics. We also featured a conversation with Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar.
