Texans For Public Justice

Shark Week Explores the Ties Between Perry and the Corporate Lobby.

2012-01-19T07:00:00.004-06:00

Texas leads the pack when it comes to public officials swimming through the "revolving door" and morphing into special-interest lobbyists. Nothing stops our lawmakers or the governor's staff and appointees from selling their connections to the highest bidder. Reformers have long tried to put the brakes on Texas' revolving door. TPJ takes a close look at Governor Perry's revolving door during Shark Week.

Day One: Perry's Roomie Toomey Mobilizes the Corporate Lobby.
Day Two: The Governor's Office Runs a Farm Team for Lobbyists.
Day Three: Perry Appointees Morph Into Lobbyists.

Money in PoliTex 2010

2011-12-19T10:51:00.004-06:00

TPJ's new report, Money in PoliTex 2010, analyzes the $202 million raised by 333 major-party candidates in the 2010 legislative and statewide elections. Report provides downloads of complete contributor lists for each of Texas' 181 sitting lawmakers and state officials elected in 2010.

Read the Money in PoliTex report.

Good Jobs First report tracks quality of Texas' subsidy jobs

2011-12-14T10:48:00.003-06:00

A new report by Washington-based Good Jobs First, Money for Something, evaluates the quality of jobs (based on wage & benefit standards) created through state taxpayer subsidy programs. Texas earns a C-minus.

Read the Money for Something report at Good Jobs First.

CON JOB: Report Finds Most Texas Enterprise Fund Grantees Failed to Deliver in 2010

2011-11-09T00:01:00.001-06:00

New TPJ report finds that most of Governor Rick Perry’s Texas Enterprise Fund projects failed to deliver on their 2010 job promises. The study analyzes compliance reports filed by 65 companies that received $350 million to create Texas jobs in 2010.

Read the press release.

Read the full CON JOB report..

Lobby Watch: Perot's Frivolous Lawsuit Fouls Out

2011-11-07T10:03:00.004-06:00

Ross Perot, Jr. gave $250,000 to anti-lawsuit PAC Texans for Lawsuit Reform after filing a lawsuit alleging that Mark Cuban mismanaged the world-champ Dallas Mavericks. District Judge Craig Smith handed the Mavs another victory last week by throwing Perot out of court.

Complete sports wrap-up in the new Lobby Watch.

NPR Reports on "Pay-to-Play" Investigation in Texas

2011-11-04T09:57:00.002-05:00

A prominent campaign contributor to Texas Gov. Rick Perry is under investigation for mismanaging hurricane disaster relief. A Texas Senate committee is examining the state's contract with engineering firm HNTB, which critics say is the latest example of the pay-to-play culture that exists in Perry's administration.

Listen to the full NPR report.

House Owner Betting on Perry in Tonight's Casino Debate?

2011-10-18T14:17:00.006-05:00

Tonight's Republican presidential debate at Las Vegas' Venetian Resort Hotel Casino takes Texas Governor Rick Perry back to the same sprawling complex where he attended his son's 2009 bachelor party. The Venetian's owner, Sheldon Adelson, has been a Perry supporter since 2007. Adelson, his daughter and top aides have contributed $46,856 to Perry's Texas war chest. Adelson and Las Vegas Sands Corp. also have given $1.6 million to the Republican Governor's Association since Perry became active in that group's fundraising.

Get the details about Perry's ties to this casino mogul.

Perry's Piggybank: Enterprise Fund Recipients Give $7 Million

2011-10-13T00:01:00.001-05:00

Forty-three companies that received $333 million in grants from the Texas Enterprise Fund contributed almost $7 million to Perry's campaign committee and the Perry-affiliated Republican Governors Association.

Read the Perry's Piggybank report.

Lobby Watch: Perry, HNTB Collect Hurricane Windfalls

2011-10-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

The Austin American-Statesman recently reported that the Perry administration hired the engineering firm HNTB to oversee relief efforts following Hurricanes Dolly and Ike. Tens of millions of dollars flowed to HNTB--but relatively little made it to the Gulf Coast. Lobby Watch takes a closer look at Perry's revolving-door lobbyists who helped grease this deal.

Explore these political windfalls in the new Lobby Watch.

Rick Perry's Once-blind Portfolio Probed

2011-09-21T12:27:00.003-05:00

Rick Perry recently opened his 15-year-old blind trust in preparation for federal disclosures which are due October 15. His trust manager appeared to have an uncanny knack for investing in interests near and dear to Perry.

Read the TPJ press release.
View Perry's Personal Financial Statement amendment filed with the Texas Ethics Commission August 30, 2011.

Crony Capitalism: The Republican Governors Association in the Perry Years

2011-09-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

As Texas Governor Rick Perry’s influence at the RGA increased over the past five years the political finances of both the governor and the Governors Association skyrocketed. The RGA raised a record $216.9 million during the Perry years between January 2006 and June 30, 2011. A remarkable 32 percent of this money ($68.7 million) came from just 139 crossover donors who also gave $13.7 million to Perry’s gubernatorial campaigns.

Scattered through the ranks of these donors are gubernatorial appointees, state-regulated businesses and businesses with state-conferred monopolies, taxpayer grants or contracts.

Read the Crony Capitalism report.

Perry's Heavenly Host: James Leininger

2011-08-25T12:48:00.002-05:00

A right-wing Texas billionaire is hosting a Christian “call to action” retreat for the Perry campaign this weekend. Governor Perry is expected to address the private gathering of Christian social conservatives at the Texas Hill Country Ranch of Dr. James Leininger.

Leininger is a political king maker who is a controversial, divisive force even within his own party. Leininger's personal and political finances also have long intertwined with those of Rick Perry.

Read TPJ’s new backgrounder on Dr. James Leininger entitled Rick Perry’s Heavenly Host.

The Rick Perry Primer

2011-08-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Texas Governor Rick Perry is unknown to much of America. TPJ has followed this politician since he became governor in late 2000, publishing numerous reports on Perry’s politics and policies. With talk of a Perry presidential campaign escalating, "The Rick Perry Primer" summarizes the highlights of a decade of our Perry-related research.

Read "The Rick Perry Primer"

Lobby Watch: Lobbyist's Loan-Shark "Loan"

2011-08-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

An Austin lobbyist recently was caught writing himself unauthorized checks out of a client's political committee. Lobby Watch argues that the galling part of this saga is that McGinnis Lochridge & Kilgore's Gaylord Armstrong exercised appalling professional judgment in choosing his victim. A lobbyist at the top of his game might have helped himself to a $125,500 unauthorized "loan" from a client's checking account. But a sane lobbyist would have chiseled every other client before targeting a trade association for loan sharks!

Read it and weep in Lobby Watch.

Texas PAC Spending Jumps 12 Percent

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

A record 1,302 active Texas political action committees (PACs) spent $133 million in the two-year 2010 election cycle, a 12 percent increase from the 2008 cycle. Over the past decade Texas PACs increased their spending nearly three-fold and the number of active PACs grew by 50% according to TPJ's latest in-depth analysis of PAC activity.

Read the media release and the full Texas PACs report.

Who Gave Rick Perry $103 Million? See Perry's Instant Bundling Network!

2011-07-13T12:41:00.014-05:00

Since becoming Governor of Texas Rick Perry raised a total of $103 million between Jan. 2001 and June 30, 2011.* Of his $103 million, $51 million was provided by 204 individuals and pacs that have each contributed $100,000 or more.

Download a file (csv format, 14mb) of Perry's 86,884 itemized contributions reported between 2001 and June 30, 2011.

View a list or download a file of the 204 individuals and committees that have contributed $100,000 or more to Perry's gubernatorial campaigns between 2001 through December 2010..

View a breakdown of Perry's campaign money by economic interest sectors.

*The data only includes contributions to Texans for Rick Perry, his Texas campaign committee and does not include money raised by Perry for other entities such as his inaugural committees, the Republican Governors' Association, or other related party and non-party committees.

HBO Documentary Explores "Tort Reform" Myths

2011-07-11T12:06:00.003-05:00

HOT COFFEE, a documentary exploring the myths behind the "tort reform" movement directed by consumer attorney Susan Saladof is airing on HBO this month after its premier earlier this year at the Sundance film festival. The film takes a close look at Texas and features several Texas advocates, including TPJ staff.

Read a review of the film at the New York Times.

Lobby Watch: Ethics Commission's Teeth in Perry's Hands

2011-06-16T15:17:00.003-05:00

A provision in an ethics bill on Governor Perry's desk effectively kicks out the Texas Ethics Commission's teeth. It lets the worst offenders off the hook provided that they say they made a mistake and correct it after the fact. This legislation to neuter the ethics cops is so bad that even its author has urged the governor to veto it.

Lobby Watch looks at the recipients of the biggest complaint-driven fines ever meted out by the Ethics Commission to see what kind of violations Perry would encourage by not exercising his veto pen.

Judge Melissa Goodwin Fined $2,050 for Accepting Illegal Campaign Contribution

2011-06-06T11:08:00.003-05:00

Third Court of Appeals Judge Melissa Goodwin was fined $2,050 by the Texas Ethics Commission for accepting a $25,000 loan from her in-laws in the March 2010 primary. The loan is considered a contribution and is limited to $5,000. According to Goodwin's lawyer she "mistakenly read" the law. TPJ filed the complaint against Goodwin on March 30, 2010.

Read the Ethics Commission final order.

Lobby Watch: HOA Reform DOA Thanks to Bob Perry's Political DNA

2011-06-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

Bob Perry's DNA was all over the House floor last week when Rep. Burt Solomons pronounced dead his bill to reform anti-consumer homeowners associations (HOAs). A TPJ analysis matching campaign funds with HOA votes supports Solomons' contention that three powerful campaign funders ordered the hit on HOA reform: homebuilder Bob Perry, Perry's HillCo Partners lobby firm, and homebuilder front group Texans for Lawsuit Reform. House members who opposed HOA reform got five times more money from these powerful players than did members who voted for Solomons' reforms.

Scrutinize all this clout in the new Lobby Watch.

Supreme Court Justice Lehrmann Fined Over TPJ Ethics Complaint

2011-05-26T12:48:00.003-05:00

Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann was fined $1,500 by the Texas Ethics Commission this week for accepting an illegal campaign contribution during her 2010 primary election campaign. The Ethics Commission action followed a complaint filed by TPJ in April 2010. The illegal contribution came in the form of a $20,000 loan from Justice Lehrmann's mother-in law. Such loans are deemed contributions and limited by law to $5,000. Lehrmann advanced to a runoff by a margin of only 941 votes. Lehrmann repaid the excess contribution on May 12, 2010 and defeated Rick Green in the May 13 runoff.

Read the Ethics Commission order.
Read the TPJ April 2010 complaint news release.

Lobby Watch: $400 Million CAPCO Program Under Fire

2011-05-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

The state's little-known capital company (CAPCO) incentive program quietly provided $400 million to 11 financial firms to create jobs by investing in start-up companies. Now the program has come under scrutiny--and fire. Critics say CAPCO is a sweetheart deal for investment firms that invest state funds and pocket the resulting equity.

Read more about CAPCO's job creation record.

Lobby Watch: Simmons' Campaign Money Predicted Nuke Waste Vote Outcome

2011-05-18T16:35:00.001-05:00

A review of Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons' campaign contributions proved to be a reliable prognosticator of how representatives would vote on opening his Andrews County nuclear dump to waste from around the nation.

Find out who took Simmons' money and who voted to give him a nuclear monopoly.

Lobby Watch: Chewing Over a Chaw Tax Cut

2011-05-11T14:04:00.003-05:00

The Senate tackles Rep. Allan Ritter's proposal to slash taxes on chewing tobacco on Thursday. Ritter says his populist bill is good for "all of us that chew tobacco." Evidence shows that Ritter's tax cut will escalate sales of chaw, which causes pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer and mouth cancer. Texans would bear the costs of those chewers who cannot pay their own cancer bills.

Chew over Ritter's chaw-tax cut in the new Lobby Watch.

DMN: Revolving Door Unlikely to Stop Spinning

2011-05-09T09:54:00.002-05:00

Karen Brooks of the Dallas Morning News reports that bills to slow or stop the revolving door that turns lawmakers into lobbyists won't likely see the light of day in the legislature.

Read her report at the Dallas Morning News.

Lobby Watch: Tax-Dodging Gas Producers Gave Politicos $2 Million in 2010 Elections

2011-05-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Enjoying a multi-billion-dollar tax exemption, Texas' biggest natural gas producers invested $1.5 million in Texas' last state election. Toss in contributions by their trade group and gas giants paid $2 million in protection money to the Texas politicians who refuse to seriously discuss repealing this gas-tax loophole in a time of staggering need.

The new Lobby Watch tracks which politicians are coziest with the gas giants.

'Texas Jobs PAC' Fined $10,000 in SchemeTo Launder Money to Craddick D's

2011-04-28T13:25:00.002-05:00

TPJ Triggered Inquiry into 2008 Campaign Activities

The Texas Ethics Commission has levied a $10,000 civil penalty against Texas Builds Jobs & Opportunity for a Secure Future PAC (Texas Jobs PAC) for its role in a 2008 scheme to hide the real source of the $150,000 in campaign funds that then-Speaker Tom Craddick funneled to three Democratic House members.

Read the full news release here.

Lobby Watch: 48 Legislators Hold Stakes in Top Natural Gas Producers

2011-04-26T07:47:00.001-05:00

Texas legislators confronting a budget crisis of biblical proportions refuse to seriously discuss repealing a natural-gas-tax loophole that costs Texas more than $1 billion a year. Sniffing through legislators' personal finances, Lobby Watch finds that one in four lawmakers has a personal stake in at least one of the top gas producers in Texas.

Some members clearly are passing gas in the Capitol. Find out who in the new Lobby Watch.

Lobby Watch: Republicans Target Public Integrity

2011-04-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Republican lawmakers propose shifting the public-integrity unit that prosecutes political crooks from the Travis County D.A. to the Texas Attorney General. Had these provisions been in place a decade ago Mr. Public Integrity, Tom DeLay, never would have been brought to justice. Attorney General Greg Abbott and DeLay's crooked TRMPAC shared donors and redistricting goals. The Attorney General would not have prosecuted DeLay, which is the whole point of the pending bills.

Read Lobby Watch's take on Public Integrity Eunuchs.

Lobby Watch: Tracking the New Revolving Door Lobbyists.

2011-04-07T06:00:00.002-05:00

The GOP sweep last November established a House super-majority that forced many Democrats out of the Texas House. Ordinarily we would expect many of these refugees to resurface in the lobby. But Lobby Watch finds just five new revolving-door lobbyists--including three Republicans.

Apparently the surviving Democrats in the House wield so little power that special interests won't waste money hiring their former colleagues to lobby them.

Read about the new Revolvers in Lobby Watch.

TLR Floods Lege Committees With Cash to Push "Loser Pays"

2011-03-29T13:59:00.003-05:00

The Dallas Morning News looks at TLR's push for "loser pays" legislation and tracks the winners paid by the TLR PAC.

Read the DMN news feature by Wayne Slater.

Report: Texas Corporate Subsidy Programs Among Nation's Most Wasteful

2011-03-22T21:00:00.000-05:00

A new report by Washington-based research organization Good Jobs First highlights 10 corporate subsidy programs it deems the most ineffective and wasteful in the nation. Governor Perry's Texas Enterprise Fund and Emerging Technology Fund programs make the worst 10 list.

Read the report at Good Jobs First.

Payday Lenders Juice Pols with $1.4 Million

2011-03-21T12:42:00.006-05:00

Payday lenders who gouge working-class Texans with annual interest rates that can exceed 1,000 percent dispersed $1.4 million to Texas politicians in the 2010 election cycle, a new Texans for Public Justice study finds.

Industry-financed politicians will now decide if this industry should be regulated at all. As a House Committee prepares to hold payday hearings tomorrow, see which campaigns enjoyed the biggest predatory paydays in TPJ's Loan-Shark report.

TPJ: Governor's Tort Agenda Protects Polluters, Frackers and Nuke Waste Dumpers

2011-03-14T12:47:00.003-05:00

Governor Perry today joined with Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) to push a radical tort agenda that locks citizens out of the court house and gives major polluters a free ride. TPJ called the Governor's agenda "a deterrent to justice that protects those who assault innocent Texans from facing a judge and jury."

Read TPJ's statement.

Judge in DeLay Case Steps Down Delaying Trial of TRMPAC Officials

2011-03-11T11:28:00.002-06:00

Judge Pat Priest, responding to a sealed motion by the defendants, abruptly recused himself from the prosecution of two of Tom DeLay's TRMPAC co-defendants, John Colyandro and James Ellis.

Read the news stories in the Houston Chronicle and the Austin American-Statesman.

Austin American-Statesman Joins Call for Greater Transparency in Perry's Corporate Welfare Funds

2011-03-10T12:08:00.004-06:00

The Austin American-Statesman publishes a strong editorial calling for greater transparency at the Enterprise and Emerging Technology Funds.

Read the Statesman editorial.

Bill to Strip Governor's Power Over Development Slush Funds Introduced

2011-03-08T11:03:00.002-06:00

Dallas Republican Senator John Corona has introduced legislation (SB 991) to remove Governor Perry's near-total decision making power over the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Emerging Technology Fund. Corona's measure would create independent citizen committees to oversee the funds and approve all taxpayer grants.

Read news coverage at the Dallas Morning News.
Read the Morning News editorial supporting the bill.

Fundrasing Totals and Contributor Lists for 2010 Winners Available

2011-02-28T14:56:00.002-06:00

TPJ has posted fundraising and spending totals for House, Senate and statewide election winners. Downloadable donor lists are posted and include itemized contributor information for each candidate from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010.

Access the contribution and spending data here.

Lobby Watch:Nuclear-Waste Kingpin Helps Anti-Lawsuit PAC Raise $6.9 Million

2011-02-24T01:00:00.004-06:00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) PAC raised a record $6.9 million in the 2010 election cycle with help from its No. 1 donor: nuclear-waste kingpin Harold Simmons. To reduce the cost of negligently harming other people, the PAC took 12 cents of every dollar it raised from Simmons. Not coincidentally, this billionaire is imposing unprecedented liabilities on Texans by importing staggering volumes of toxic and radioactive waste into West Texas.

Lobby Watch also finds that many of TLR's biggest new donors are righteously litigious dudes.

Read the new Lobby Watch.

Star-Telegram: Suspend state economic development incentives

2011-02-23T11:47:00.003-06:00

An editorial from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram argues that the Governor's pet corporate welfare programs be suspended in light of the state's budget woes. It also calls for creating more accountability within the programs.

Read the editorial at the Star-Telegram.

TPJ Lauds New York’s Move to Get Campaign Money Out of Its Courts

2011-02-15T09:30:00.002-06:00

TPJ today commended New York State’s decision to bar that state’s elected judges from hearing cases involving significant campaign contributors (lawyers or parties who have given the judge at least $2,500 over the previous two-years). The new rule by New York’s Administrative Board of the Courts is thought to be the most restrictive measure of its kind. Recently Michigan, Washington and Oklahoma have adopted judicial-recusal standards.
TPJ Lauds New York's Move to Get Money Out of Courts

TPJ today commended New York State’s decision to bar that state’s elected judges from hearing cases involving significant campaign contributors (lawyers or parties who have given the judge at least $2,500 over the previous two-years). The new rule by New York’s Administrative Board of the Courts is thought to be the most restrictive measure of its kind. Recently Michigan, Washington and Oklahoma have adopted judicial-recusal standards.

“Texas needs to take the ‘for sale’ sign off its courtrooms and adopt its own recusal standard,” said Craig McDonald, director of the non-partisan, research and advocacy organization. “The public doesn’t believe that judges who take money from people in their courtroom are impartial.”

TPJ supports legislation filed by Rep. Richard Raymond (H.B. 156). It would require Supreme Court and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals justices to recuse themselves from cases involving significant campaign contributors (lawyers, law firms or parties who gave a judge at least $2,500 over the previous four years).

TPJ: Let's Cut Coporate Welfare First

2011-02-12T09:16:00.002-06:00

In the face of an historic budget shortfall, TPJ encourages lawmakers to cut the Governor's corporate welfare programs.

Read Andrew Wheat's opinion piece in the Austin American-Statesman.

KHOU Investigates Rep. Larry Taylor's Conflict of Interest on Insurance Legislation

2011-02-09T16:10:00.005-06:00

Houston's KHOU Investigative team explores State Representative and insurance agent Larry Taylor's conflict of interest in insurance regulation legislation.

Go to the KHOU report.

Lobby Watch:Global Supply Chain Strains Huntsville's Lethal Injections

2011-01-28T09:45:00.000-06:00

As Europe has tied knots in the global supply chain for drugs used in lethal-injection executions, a Texas judge recently ordered the Department of Criminal Justice to reveal who supplies its death-row drugs. Lobby Watch takes a closer look at at a manufacturer of these drugs and the distributor that met all of Huntsville's lethal-injection needs.

Read the latest Lobby Watch.

Lobby Watch: Reality Check on the "Texas Century"

2011-01-19T10:52:00.002-06:00

With heads of state declaring "the Texas Century" and proclaiming
Texans "the greatest people on this planet," Lobby Watch looks up
"Texas" in a bestselling almanac for a desperately needed reality check.

Read the latest Lobby Watch.

Fat cats & corporations feed Guv's inauguration

2011-01-18T13:55:00.004-06:00

Lobbyists, executives and corporations with business before the state are among the big donors who lined up to fork over $2 million for Governor Perry's inaugural festivities.

Read Wayne Slater's story in the Dallas Morning News.

DeLay Hammered Softly

2011-01-13T16:02:00.001-06:00

Research that TPJ published in today's Texas Observer reveals that Tom DeLay's 3-year sentence is lenient compared to the usual sentences that Texas doles out to convicted money launderers.

Read the story in the Observer.

Tom DeLay sentenced to 3 years in prison

2011-01-10T15:45:00.001-06:00

Judge Pat Priest sentenced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to three years in prison for conspiracy to launder corporate money in the 2002 Texas elections. DeLay also received 10 years probation on a second count of money laundering.

Read more at the Austin American-Statesman.

Nuke Waste Commission Votes to Open Texas Dump

2011-01-05T13:53:00.003-06:00

The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission met in Andrews, Texas yesterday and voted to open the nuclear waste site operated by Harold Simmons to waste from around the country--and possibly the world.

Read the story at the Austin American-Statesman.

Judge Halts Vote on Nuke Dump

2010-12-31T09:10:00.001-06:00

A Travis County state district judge on Thursday sided with environmentalists and temporarily halted plans to allow a West Texas radioactive waste disposal site to accept waste from an additional three dozen states.

Read the full story in the Austin American-Statesman.

Lobby Watch:Simmons Raises Stakes at Nuke Dump

2010-12-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

Before he contributed $500,000 to Governor Perry in the second half of 2010, Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons previously gave Perry another $620,000. This $1.1 million pile of cash is dwarfed by the enormity of what Simmons demands in return. Soon six Perry appointees will vote on Simmons' application to turn Texas into the nation's low-level nuclear waste dump.

Read the new Lobby Watch:
Don't Trash Texas--Unless You Pay Perry $1.1 Million

TPJ Fights Expansion of Nuke Waste Site

2010-12-10T14:30:00.003-06:00

TPJ joined dozens of activists to oppose a plan to allow nuke waste from 36 states to be buried in Texas at a public hearing before the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission yesterday.

View TPJ's testimony.
Visit our friends at Nuke Free Texas for more information on the issue.

Report: Texas Earns "C-minus" for Disclosure of Tax Break Deals

2010-12-08T12:05:00.000-06:00

A report ranking the 50 states on their online disclosure of information on companies receiving state and local tax breaks, grants and other subsidies for job creation found that Texas ranked 10th among the states and earned a disclosure grade of “C-minus.” The Show Us the Subsidies report published today by Good Jobs First rated the disclosure practices of 245 major economic development programs around the country.

The report from Good Jobs First is located here.Type rest of the post here

Lobby Watch:Gambling Industry Bet Against Republican-Dominated House

2010-12-01T10:00:00.001-06:00

Indian tribes and gambling PACs gave almost $1 million to Texas House candidates this round, directing 80 percent of it to beleaguered Democrats. Almost two-thirds of that money went to losers. The new Lobby Watch documents how professional gamblers ignored the odds to make risky bets against those who will now run the House.

Read the new Lobby Watch here.

DeLay Guilty of Money Laundering

2010-11-24T17:20:00.003-06:00

Statement from Craig McDonald, Director of Texans for Public Justice on Tom DeLay guilty verdict.

"We can't undo the 2002 election, but a jury wisely acted to hold DeLay accountable for conspiring to steal it."

Read coverage of the verdict at the Austin American-Statesman.

DeLay case goes to the jury

2010-11-22T11:28:00.003-06:00

The outcome of Tom DeLay's money-laundering trial is now in the hands of a Travis County jury. Read a rundown of the closing arguments at the Austin American-Statesman.

Trial Update: DeLay knew about money swap in advance.

2010-11-12T11:17:00.005-06:00

Prior to recessing for the week, jurors in the DeLay money laundering trial Wednesday were played an audio tape on which DeLay acknowledged he knew of the $190,000 money swap with the RNC beforehand.

Read the full account in the Austin American-Statesman.

Race for Cash Concludes:View totals and donor lists for the 2010 cycle.

2010-11-09T08:00:00.002-06:00

TPJ has compiled total amounts raised and spent for each of the major-party legislative and statewide candidates on the November ballot. Totals reflect all campaign activity reported to the Texas Ethics Commission for the 2010 election cycle (January 1, 2009 through October 25, 2010).

Go to the candidate lists and click on a candidate's name to open a spreadsheet of all itemized contributions reported by the candidate since January 1, 2009.

KXAN Investigates Legislators' Use of Campaign Money

2010-11-08T10:38:00.002-06:00

KXAN Investigative Reporter Nanci Wilson takes a look into the uses and misuses of campaign money by Members of the Texas Legislature.

View the KXAN report: Lavish lifestyles with campaign cash.

New York Times: DeLay Trial Update

2010-11-07T10:24:00.001-06:00

NY Times reporter James McKinley, Jr. has been in the Travis County Courtroom observing the first week of testimony in Tom DeLay's money laundering trial.

Read the New York Times update on the DeLay trial.

Rick Perry & Bill White's Mega-Donors Tallied

2010-10-29T11:04:00.003-05:00

As Texas' longest-serving governor, Rick Perry raised $98.9 million from 2001 through October 23, 2010. Perry raised almost $49 million (or 50 percent of this money) from 193 mega donors who gave him $100,000 or more.

Bill White's gubernatorial campaign reported raising $25,056,887 from December 2009 through October 23, 2010. White raised $10.3 million (or 41 percent of this money) from 28 mega donors who gave him $100,000 or more.

View a list of Rick Perry's 193 mega-donors.
View a list of Bill White's 28 mega-donors.

Download a spreadsheet of Rick Perry's itemized contributions from 1/1/2001 - 9/23/2010.

Download a spreadsheet of Bill White's itemized contributions to his 2010 campaign for governor through 9/23/2010.

Bob Perry, Longtime G.O.P. Donor, Adds Millions - New York Times

2010-10-23T06:16:00.005-05:00

On the occasion of a $7 million contribution to Karl Rove's American Crossroads group, The New York Times profiles Houston home builder Bob Perry, Texas' biggest campaign financier.

Read the article at the New York Times.

Lobby Watch:Treasurer of Notorious Leininger PAC Runs For Railroad Commission

2010-10-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

In a likely case of GOP voters balking at a Hispanic name, David Porter overcame a huge funding advantage to knockout incumbent Texas Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo in the March primary.

Lobby Watch reviews Porter's previous role in spending piles of Leininger cash to back Mark Williams--a failed challenger to Rep. Tommy Merritt in the 2006 GOP Primary. It may have been Texas' best-documented case of a candidate operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of a single PAC, consultant and donor.

Read about this railroad Porter and that bizarre 2006 race in the new Lobby Watch.

Lobby Watch:TLR, ART & Speaker Divide GOP-Majority Work

2010-10-19T09:00:00.001-05:00

Speaker Joe Straus' Democratic allies complain that his financing of incumbent Republicans frees up other GOP players to target sitting Democrats. Lobby Watch follows the money, finding an almost perfect division of labor between Straus and the incumbent-targeting Associated Republicans of Texas. In contrast, Texans for Lawsuit Reform's pockets may be too deep for such specialization.

Follow the GOP PAC's housework in the new Lobby Watch.

TPJ Serves Houston Tea Party Groups with Election-Law Complaints

2010-10-18T09:30:00.001-05:00

TPJ today filed a formal complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission alleging that the King Street Patriots and KSP/True the Vote have violated the state’s prohibition on corporate contributions to political parties and candidates. The complaint says the groups appear to have made repeated in-kind corporate contributions to the Harris County Republican Party and a slate of Republican candidates for legislative, judicial and county offices.

Read the full TPJ press release.
Read the TPJ Ethics complaint.

Perry Reaps $17 Million from his Political Appointees

2010-09-30T05:45:00.000-05:00

Governor Perry has received $17 million in campaign contributions from his political appointees and their spouses, according to a new TPJ report. One out of every $5 raised by Governor Perry since 2001 has come from appointees or their spouses.

Read a one-page summary of the report.

Read the full TPJ report: Governor Perry's Patronage..

TPJ Urges Melissa Goodwin to Return $20,274 in Illegal Contributions

2010-09-29T08:30:00.002-05:00

3rd Court of Appeals Candidate Melissa Goodwin has yet to return $20,274 in illegal political funds that she used to narrowly prevail in the March Republican primary, according to her most recent campaign reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission.

TPJ filed a still-pending complaint about Goodwin’s illegal campaign funds with the Ethics Commission on March 25. As of her latest campaign report filed on July 22, Goodwin still had not returned the illegal funds.

Read today's complete TPJ press statement.
Read the press release from TPJ's March 25 Ethics Complaint.
Read the March 25 TPJ Ethics complaint.

Lobby Watch:Which Doctors back whom in Zedler-Turner race?

2010-09-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

The 'Texas Tribune' recently exposed how former Republican Rep. Bill Zedler used his legislative office to run interference for doctors subject to Texas Medical Board disciplinary reviews. 'Lobby Watch' follows up to see which doctors back whom in Zedler's campaign to reclaim his seat from Democratic Rep. Chris Turner of Arlington.

Check the vital signs in the new Lobby Watch.

Dallas Morning News:Attorney General contributions raise conflict questions

2010-09-20T10:29:00.002-05:00

Donors from some of Texas' largest industries account for at least two-thirds of the $1.7 million that Attorney General Greg Abbott has raised in his campaign this year, according to an analysis by the Dallas Morning News. Watchdogs contend Abbott's contributions create conflicts of interest for the Attorney General.

Read Theodore Kim's article at the Dallas Morning News.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal:Critics assail practice of ex-legislators becoming lobbyists

2010-09-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Too many former legislators are going directly from public office to a lucrative life of lobbying former colleagues, critics say — but those advocates of barring or limiting the practice agree the effort is an uphill push.

Read the article by Enrique Rangel at Lubbock On-line.

Lobby Watch:Hill Country Electric Lines Spark New Power Struggle

2010-09-15T08:00:00.002-05:00

The Texas Public Utility Commission could axe two massive transmission-line proposals to help move electricity from windy West Texas to the state's population centers. The PUC could free up--or bottle up--huge amounts of clean wind power. It also could save--or cost--ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Read the details in the new Lobby Watch.

Phantom Jobs: Governor Perry's Enterprise Fund Falls Further Behind On Its Promises

2010-09-08T06:30:00.003-05:00

Two-thirds of the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) projects that faced job-creation targets for 2009 failed to deliver the jobs that they originally promised in exchange for $368 million in public funding, a new Texans for Public Justice study finds. This marks a sharp increase from the 42 percent of TEF projects that were so compromised just one year earlier.

Read a one-page summary of the report.

Read the full TPJ report -
Phantom Jobs: The Texas Enterprise Fund's Broken Promises.

Download PDF of TEF recipient compliance reports covering 2009. (Large File)

Austin American-Statesman:Blind trusts become campaign issue

2010-09-02T11:47:00.002-05:00

The Austin American-Statesman's Mike Ward delves into the issues raised in the governors race over "blind" trusts.

Read Mike Ward's article at the Statesman.

Tom DeLay trial to proceed in Travis County

2010-08-25T16:15:00.000-05:00

Senior Judge Pat Priest has ruled that Tom DeLay's criminal trial on money laundering and conspiracy charges will be held in Travis County and set the date for October 26, 2010. DeLay will be tried separately from his two co-defendants, Jim Ellis and John Colyandro. DeLay told reporters, "I can't get a fair trial here...I think I'm more hated in Travis County than any other politician."

Tom DeLay Prosecution Proceeds - Finally!

2010-08-23T09:53:00.005-05:00

After several years of pre-trial appeals, the prosecution of Tom DeLay on felony money-laundering and conspiracy charges is set to resume in a Travis County courthouse on Tuesday.

Read about the saga at the Austin American-Statesman.

Race for Campaign Cash:View totals and complete donor lists

2010-07-30T11:16:00.005-05:00

TPJ has compiled total amounts raised, spent and cash-on-hand for each of the major-party legislative and statewide candidates on the November ballot. Totals reflect all fundraising and spending activity reported for the 2010 election cycle (January 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010).

Just click on a candidate's name to open a spreadsheet of all itemized contributions reported by the candidate since January 1, 2009.
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View Totals and Donor Lists to all
Statewide Candidates
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View Totals and Donor Lists to all
Senate Candidates
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View Totals and Donor Lists to all
House Candidates
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In light of BP spill, advocates urge Texas to rethink corporate immunity

2010-07-29T10:57:00.001-05:00

TPJ and its allies in the consumer, environmental and labor community addressed a joint House hearing Thursday to urge the legislature to overturn liability limits that give immunity for corporate wrongdoers and jeopardize community and worker safety.

Read the advocacy groups' media statement.

DMN: Murky land deals mark Gov. Perry's past

2010-07-27T11:57:00.005-05:00

The Dallas Morning News explores a sweetheart land deal benefiting Governor Perry to the tune of nearly $500,000. The land deal was first reported by TPJ's Andrew Wheat in the Texas Observer.

Read the articles at DMN.

Murky land deals mark Gov. Perry's past. July 25, 2010
Rick Perry's property buyer was "invisible". July 25, 2010
White assails Perry land deals. July 27, 2010
Fraser failed to report Perry land deals. July 30.2010

Ethics Commission fines Rene Nunez, clears Rick Agosto in SBOE gift probe

2010-07-16T13:41:00.003-05:00

The Texas Ethics Commission has resolved two complaints filed by TPJ alleging that State Board of Education members Rene Nunez and Rick Agosto failed to report gifts they received from a company seeking an investment contract with the board. The Commission found that Nunez failed to report a football outing provided by AEW Capital Management valued at over $700. Nunez was fined $400. The commission found there was no evidence that Agosto accepted a reportable gift from AEW.

Ethics Commission order against Rene Nunez can be found here.

T. Boone's Oil & Water Law Don't Mix

2010-07-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

T. Boone Pickens' water company is urging the Texas Supreme Court to model state water law after Texas laws that govern oil and gas. Pickens' water-law scheme is a recipe for disaster if you don't happen to be an octogenarian billionaire.

Read the report

Perry's Mansion Spending Violates Campaign Laws, TPJ Alleges

2010-06-22T09:30:00.001-05:00

TPJ filed an ethics complaint today alleging that Governor Perry's campaign violated disclosure laws by not itemizing how it spent $816,000 on mansion-related expenditures such as food, drinks, cable TV and chefs.

Read the full news release.
Read the complaint filed with the Ethics Commision.

DMN: Questions raised by Rep. Linda Harper-Brown's use of a Mercedes

2010-06-18T12:27:00.002-05:00

Article in the Dallas Morning News reveals that Linda Harper-Brown drives a 2010 Mercedes owned by a major state transportation contractor.

Read the story at the Dallas Morning News.

Houston Chronicle: Perry's China Trip Raises Questions of Conflict

2010-06-11T12:20:00.001-05:00

Houston Chronicle story by Peggy Fikac raises questions about the propriety of the Texas One donors paying for the Governor and his family to visit China.

Read the story at the Houston Chronicle.

Radio-Activist Judges:TPJ calls for recusal in nuke dump case.

2010-06-03T11:37:00.002-05:00

To avoid judicial radio-activism, TPJ called today on all nine Texas Supreme Court justices to recuse themselves from an appeal filed yesterday involving nuclear dump company Waste Control Specialists. Waste Control's billionaire owner has given the justices $90,500 in campaign cash. Geiger counter readings reveal that Harold Simmons has given every justice amounts ranging from $5,000 up to $18,500 in the case of Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson.

Read the full press release.

TPJ Calls on Perry, Dewhurst & Straus To Investigate State Grant to Sematech

2010-05-24T09:55:00.000-05:00

Did Sematech Cheat on Texas By Loving New York
in the Middle of its $40 Million Subsidy Deal?

TPJ today urged Texas’ top three officials who oversee the Texas Enterprise Fund to investigate if Sematech violated the 2004 contract it signed to obtain $40 million in state funds. TPJ urged the officials to either “enforce compliance or recover the funds that failed to deliver the promised benefits.”

Read the press release.
Read the letter to Perry, Dewhurst & Straus.

Recession Hits 'Austin's Oldest Profession'

2010-05-10T08:00:00.003-05:00

Special interests spent up to $344 million on Texas lobbying contracts in 2009, a slight dip from the $348 million that they spent in the previous legislative year (2007). This marks the only time in a decade when lobby spending did not skyrocket from one legislative year to another, according to the new edition of TPJ's biennial analysis of the Texas lobby.

Read the media release and the full report.

Lobby Watch: Sibley Asks Voters to Rehire a Hired Gun

2010-05-06T08:00:00.003-05:00

Revolving-door lobbyist David Sibley, who has earned up to $15.6 million from special-interests since departing the legislature in 2002, is expected to ride back into the Pink Building on the strength of his huge, client-funded war chest.

Read the new Lobby Watch.

Editorials: Keller Fine Appropriate

2010-05-05T12:01:00.003-05:00

Several major daily newspapers have weighed-in with editorials supporting the $100,000 ethics fine assessed against Texas Court of Criminal Appeals presiding judge Sharon Keller.

DMN editorial: Stiff But Fair Fine.
FWST editorial: Keller ignores due diligence.
San Antonio Express News editorial: Ethics panel at last shows teeth.

Judge Keller Slapped with $100,000 Ethics Fine on TPJ Complaint

2010-04-30T11:38:00.002-05:00

Texas regulators assessed a $100,000 civil penalty against Texas Criminal Court Presiding Judge Sharon Keller on April 28 for failing to disclose nearly $3 million in real estate, as well as $183,000 in income from 17 different sources. The fine against Texas’ top criminal judge was the largest ever levied by the Texas Ethics Commission. Judge’s Keller’s disclosure lapses occurred in legally required personal financial statements that she filed with the Ethics Commission in 2007 and 2008. State law requires public officials to make the disclosures as a disinfectant against potential conflicts of interest. Texans for Public Justice filed the Keller complaint with the Commission in March, 2009.

TPJ's March 2009 complaint can be found here.

Lobby Watch: Nuclear Compact with the Devil?

2010-04-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

How can Governor Perry's appointees regulate the flow of out-of-state nuclear waste into a West Texas dump that happens to be owned by a huge gubernatorial donor?

Learn how to stop worrying and read TPJ's Lobby Watch.

Top Criminal Court Upholds Indictments in DeLay Case

2010-04-28T13:14:00.003-05:00

Texas’ highest criminal court today unanimously rejected arguments by co-indicted associates of Tom DeLay that the state money laundering statutes do not apply to checks. DeLay aides John Colyandro and Jim Ellis were seeking to dismiss felony money-laundering indictments. A ruling in their favor likely would have resulted in the dismissal of Tom DeLay's indictment as well. Instead, the trial court will now proceed with the case against all three defendants.

Read the news story at the Austin-American Statesman.
Download the Court of Criminal Appeals' ruling.

High Court Candidate Lehrmann Violated Campaign Contribution Limits, TPJ Alleges

2010-04-27T10:00:00.002-05:00

Texans for Public Justice filed a complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission today alleging that Supreme Court candidate Debra Lehrmann appears to have violated state election laws by accepting contributions that exceeded the legal limits.

Read the full press release.
Read the complaint filed with the TEC.

Lobby Watch: School Children Must Match Refineries' Influence on Perry

2010-04-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

Refinery interests that gave Governor Perry more than $1 million are seeking a huge property-tax break from Perry's environmental appointees. The proposed tax breaks are on equipment that removes sulfur from diesel fuel. This results in cleaner air where the diesel is burned--but not at the refinery. As such, little of the clean-air benefits used to rationalize the tax break would accrue to the smoggy communities and schools that would pay for it.

Study this civics lesson in the new Lobby Watch:

The Texas Observer:Speaker Straus' Other Horserace

2010-04-12T10:45:00.002-05:00

Andrew Wheat's feature article in the Observer concludes that Texas House Speaker Joe Straus' family could earn millions if slots at racetracks are legalized.

Read the full story at the Texas Observer.

Pay to Play in Texas? Most Public University Regents Gave to Gov. Perry's Campaigns

2010-04-09T14:51:00.004-05:00

Article by Paul Fain in the Chronicle of Higher Education focuses on TPJ's recent report documenting contributions to Perry.

Read the article at The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Bob Perry: Patron to All Republicans?

2010-04-09T12:34:00.003-05:00

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports that Houston home-builder Bob Perry is the top donor to each of the four candidates facing off against one another in runoffs for two house seats in the Lubbock area. Now there's a winning strategy for a big donor.

Read the article at Lubbock Online.

Gov. Perry Pockets $6 Million from Regent Appointees

2010-04-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

No Donor Left Behind:

Rick Perry has collected almost $6.1 million from the 155 people whom he has appointed to be non-student regents since becoming governor in 2000.

Read the details in TPJ's latest report.

Appeals Court Candidate Melissa GoodwinViolated Campaign Limits, TPJ Alleges

2010-03-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

TPJ has filed a complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission alleging that 3rd Court of Appeals candidate Melissa Goodwin may have violated state election laws by accepting political contributions that exceeded campaign limits.

Read the full media release.
Read the TPJ formal complaint.

Lobby Watch: Political Juice Amped Up $5 Billion Power-Grid Contracts

2010-03-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Texas Public Utility Commission awarded almost $5 billion in electrical-grid contracts to energy companies. The contractors' PACs and executives, in turn, pumped almost $5 million into state elections over the past five years. Grid contractors also spent up to $45 million on Texas lobbyists during this period.

Follow Lobby Watch as it follows the money through the grid.

TPJ Weighs In on Open-Records Suit at Texas Supreme Court

2010-03-12T14:38:00.008-06:00

Texans for Public Justice, Public Citizen and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas told the Texas Supreme Court today that a labor coalition seeking documents under the open records law should not be forced to disclose information about itself and its associates. In a "friend of the court" brief the groups urged the high court to overturn a lower court ruling that threatens access to public documents.

Read the full media release.
Read the groups' brief filed with the Supreme Court.