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A.
$1.5 Million Lobbyists
Fifty-nine Texas lobbyists reported
maximum lobby incomes of $1 million or more in 2003—up from 38 million-dollar
lobbyists in 2001. The accompanying table lists the 26 lobbyists who reported
maximum lobby incomes of more than $1.5 million. Collectively these 26
lobbyists billed their clients up to $58 million—or one out of every five
lobby dollars billed in Texas.
| Lobbyist | Max. Value
of Contracts |
Min. Value
of Contracts |
No. of
Contracts |
Lobbyist's Background |
| Russell 'Rusty' Kelley | $5,220,000 | $3,095,000 | 58 | Ex-Speaker's aide |
| Stan Schlueter | $3,335,001 | $2,035,000 | 32 | Ex-Chair House Calendars Com. |
| David Sibley | $3,120,000 | $1,715,000 | 41 | Ex-Chair Business & Commerce Com. |
| Randall H. Erben | $2,950,000 | $1,495,000 | 35 | Law Offices of Randall Erben |
| Brian G. Yarbrough | $2,950,000 | $1,495,000 | 36 | Works with Randall Erben |
| W. James Jonas III | $2,670,001 | $1,690,000 | 27 | At Loeffler Jonas & Tuggey |
| Andrea McWilliams | $2,530,000 | $1,195,000 | 39 | Ex-legislative aide |
| Dean R McWilliams. | $2,160,000 | $1,045,000 | 29 | Ex-legislative aide |
| Neal 'Buddy' Jones. | $2,125,000 | $975,000 | 55 | Ex-legislator & Speaker's aide |
| Robert D. Miller | $2,085,000 | $1,205,000 | 22 | Ex-legislative aide |
| John M. Erskine, Jr. | $2,075,000 | $1,095,000 | 28 | Ex-Amoco & DuPont lobbyist |
| Bill Messer | $2,075,000 | $1,005,000 | 45 | Ex-legislator |
| Denice Marchman | $1,925,000 | $1,020,000 | 26 | At Hughes & Luce |
| Marc T. Shivers | $1,925,000 | $1,020,000 | 26 | At Hughes & Luce |
| Myra Leo | $1,875,000 | $995,000 | 25 | Ex-legislative aide |
| Larry D. McGinnis | $1,875,000 | $995,000 | 25 | Ex-legislative aide |
| Mignon McGarry | $1,825,000 | $1,025,000 | 22 | Ex-Congressional aide |
| Machree G. Gibson | $1,820,000 | $970,000 | 23 | Ex-Ast. Sec. of State & governor's aide |
| Jay P Brown. | $1,710,000 | $925,000 | 19 | Ex-federal judge clerk |
| Jay W. Propes | $1,710,000 | $925,000 | 19 | Ex-Congressional aide |
| Shannon Lea Swan | $1,710,000 | $925,000 | 19 | Ex-Calendars Com. aide |
| Reginald G. Bashur | $1,700,001 | $1,025,000 | 16 | Ex-governor's aide |
| Pamela M. Giblin | $1,660,002 | $875,000 | 55 | Ex-TX Air Control Bd. Gen'l Counsel |
| Galt Graydon | $1,660,000 | $900,000 | 18 | Ex-legislative aide & U.S. attorney |
| J. E. 'Buster' Brown | $1,650,001 | $940,000 | 20 | Ex-Senator |
| Jack Roberts | $1,630,000 | $815,000 | 24 | Ex-Deputy Comptroller |
By far, the state’s top 2003 lobbyist
was Russell “Rusty” Kelley, who reported between $3.1 million and $5.2
million in lobby income. The managing director of Public Strategies, Inc.,
Kelley previously was: Vice President of an S&L trade group; A House
Sergeant at Arms; and An aide to former House Speaker Billy Clayton.
| Client | Max. Value
Of Contract |
| Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of TX | $200,000 |
| Hillwood Development Corp. | $200,000 |
| Outdoor Advertising Assn. of TX | $200,000 |
| TX Soft Drink Assn. | $200,000 |
| Allstate Insurance Co. | $150,000 |
| Credit Union Legislative Coalition | $150,000 |
| Dell Computer Corp. | $150,000 |
| General Motors | $150,000 |
| E. TX Medical Center Regional Healthcare System | $150,000 |
| El Paso Water Utilities | $150,000 |
| Entergy Corp | $150,000 |
| Linebarger Heard Goggan Blair Graham… | $150,000 |
| Nat'l Assn. of Real Estate Investment Trusts | $150,000 |
| TX Assn. of Public & Non Profit Hospitals | $150,000 |
| TX Psychological Assn. | $150,000 |
| TX Woman's University Foundation | $150,000 |
| UST Public Affairs, Inc. | $150,000 |
| Walden Residential Properties | $150,000 |
| Southwest Sports Group | $125,000 |
| Admiral Nimitz Foundation | $100,000 |
| AMR Corp. (American Airlines) | $100,000 |
| Bass Enterprises Production Co. | $100,000 |
| City of San Angelo | $100,000 |
| Dow Chemical Co. | $100,000 |
| First Southwest Co. | $100,000 |
| Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce | $100,000 |
| HMTF Operating | $100,000 |
| IdleAire Technologies Corp. | $100,000 |
| Lower Colorado River Authority | $100,000 |
| Lubrizol Corp. | $100,000 |
| MBIA Insurance Corp. | $100,000 |
| Nat'l Vehicle Leasing Assn. | $100,000 |
| Peter O'Donnell, Jr. | $100,000 |
| RCS Investments | $100,000 |
| Southwestern Bell | $100,000 |
Texas lobbyists reported 35 mega-contracts in 2003 worth unspecified amounts of “more than $200,000.” This was more than twice the number of mega-contracts reported in 2001. The public has no way of knowing if these contracts were worth $200,001 apiece or $5 million.
In another disclosure
failing, nine lobbyists reported their own firm as the client for contracts
with a maximum value exceeding $200,000. There is no way to know if unethical
lobbyists and firms abuse such disclosure to conceal the identities of
other paying clients. For another huge contract, the Texas Association
of Realtors listed itself as both the lobbyist and client.
| Client | Lobbyists |
| Associated General Contractors | Karen A. Johnson |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of TX | Elton Bomer |
| CITGO Petroleum Corp. | Kerry N. Cammack |
| CITGO Petroleum Corp. | Elena Guerra |
| City of Houston | John L. Hall |
| City of Houston | Robert I. Kelly |
| City of Laredo | Karen A. Johnson |
| Congress of Affordable Housing | John R. Pitts |
| Albert D. Huddleston | Virginia Stephens |
| KB Home | Reginald G. Bashur |
| Pearson Education | W. James Jonas, III |
| Pilgrim's Pride Corp. | Pamela M. Giblin |
| Ryan & Company | Stan Schlueter |
| Texans for Civil Justice, Inc. | J. E. 'Buster' Brown |
| TX Association of Realtors | ??? |
| TX Electric Co-Op, Inc. | Campbell McGinnis |
| TX Racing Agri-Industry Council | Elton Bomer |
| TX Trial Lawyers Assn. | Nicholas K. Kralj |
Two clients—CITGO and the City of Houston—bankrolled two mega-contracts apiece. Wooed with $5 million from Governor Perry’s Texas Enterprise Fund and a $15 million loan from the Texas Economic Development Bank, CITGO announced in 2004 that it would relocate its corporate headquarters to Houston from Oklahoma and invest $828 million in a Corpus refinery.
Three lobbyists landed two mega-contracts
apiece. Elton Bomer, a former Secretary of State and Insurance Commissioner,
reported mega-contracts with Blue Cross Blue Shield and a trade group pushing
slot machines for Texas race tracks. Former Texas Air Control attorney
Pam Giblin reported massive contracts with polluting poultry giant Pilgrim’s
Pride and with her own Baker Botts law firm. Finally, Karen Johnson, an
ex-staff lobbyist for a Texas highway trade group, reported huge contracts
with the Associated General Contractors and the City of Laredo.
| 'Client' Firm | Lobbyist |
| Baker Botts | Pamela M. Giblin |
| Baker Botts | Robert Strauser |
| Bicameral Consultants | Johnnie B. Rogers, Jr. |
| Bracewell & Patterson | Jill Warren |
| Gardere Wynne Sewell | Carl S. Richie |
| Gardere Wynne Sewell | Kimberly A. Yelkin |
| Kemp Smith | Thomas A. Forbes |
| Locke Liddell & Sapp | Gary D. Compton |
| McGinnis Lochridge & Kilgore | Amber Alcedo |
| McGinnis Lochridge & Kilgore | Gaylord Armstrong |
| McGinnis Lochridge & Kilgore | Mary B. Reagan |
| McGinnis Lochridge & Kilgore | Robert C. Wilson |
| Vinson & Elkins | Joe Bill Watkins |
| Winstead Sechrest & Minick | Robert C. Bass, Jr. |
| Winstead Sechrest & Minick | Phil Haag |
| York Keller & Field | Mary Keller |
| York Keller & Field | Larry F. York |
