|
Greg Abbott (R)
Governor |
Donations: $15,190,529
Loans: $0
Cash: $23,293,620 |
Dan Patrick (R)
Lieutenant Governor |
Donations: $4,193,257
Loans: $2,000,000
Cash: $22,231,435 |
Ken Paxton (R)
Attorney General |
Donations: $1,738.508
Loans: $0
Cash: $2,763,716 |
| Source: Texas Ethics Commission |
|
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Patrick Reaps $3 Million from PAC
that's Pushing to Get Paxton Off
Capitol Inside
July 18, 2023
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick accepted $3 million late last month from an arch-conservative political action committee that's suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's most prominent organizational supporter in his fight against impeachment charges that the Texas Senate will decide in a trial in September.
Patrick reported a contribution of $1,000,000 from the Defend Texas Liberty PAC on June 27 before recording a $2,000,000 loan from the group the following day. Defend Texas Liberty PAC has counted West Texas oil tycoons Farris Wilks and Tim Dunn as its two leading contributors as the most heavily armed organization that's associated with the far right here.
The Republican lieutenant governor reported almost $4.2 million in contributions from supporters during a span of less than two weeks after the fundraising ban for state elected officials during the regular session expired in June. Patrick rounded up more than $3 million from other sources on top of the Defend Texas Liberty PAC's generosity.
Patrick - the presiding judge in the Paxton impeachment tribunal in his role as the Senate president - ended June with more than $22.2 million in the campaign bank. Governor Greg Abbott reported a cash surplus of $23.3 million in contrast after raising more than $15 million in the final third of June.
Paxton didn't show the effects of his impeachment in the Texas House on May 27 in the campaign finance statement that he filed with the Texas Ethics Commission on Monday for the first half of 2023. Paxton reported contributions topping $1.7 million after the donation prohibition ended last month. Paxton had raised $1.37 million from donors in the same time frame four years ago after a re-election win in 2018.
The embattled state lawyer had a cash balance of almost $2.8 million on June 30. Paxton reported a half-dozen six-figure donors - with Waco business tycoon Gary Heavin as the largest at $500,000.
But Paxton's base of support was most prolific in Midland with oil and gas magnates Doug Scharbauer and Dunn giving $250,000 and $150,000 respectively in addition to $100,000 apiece from Kyle Stalling and William Holmes. Scharbauer donated $100,000 to Patrick, who accepted $50,000 from Stallings and $25,000 from Holmes.
Patrick had received nearly a half-million dollars from Defend Texas Liberty PAC in the past. The group contributed $100,000 to Patrick for a re-election battle in 2022. But Patrick runs the risk of compromising the appearance of integrity and objectivity as the jurist in the Paxton impeachment with the infusion that he garnered just four weeks after the House voted to kick Paxton out of office pending the trial in the upper chamber.
Defend Texas Liberty PAC also donated $6,000 last month to GOP State Rep. Brian Harrison of Midlothian and $2,000 to Republican Mark Dorazio of San Antonio.
more to come ... |
