Patrick Wants Rangers to Investigate
Latest Round of Money Woes at TSU

Capitol Inside
November 10, 2025

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick called on Monday for a Texas Rangers probe into financial irregularities at Texas Southern University and a corresponding freeze on current state appropriations amid allegations that the school may have been cheated out of nearly a half-billion dollars from within.

The Republican state Senate president made the pitch for dramatic action after State Auditor Lisa Collier informed the Legislative Audit Committee of major deficiencies in a preliminary review at TSU.

Patrick said in a social media post that he will meet with Governor Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dustin Burrows on "budget execution language" to prevent the historically Black institution in Houston from spending any more of the funds that have been allocated from the state for the current biennium until the problems have been corrected. Patrick characterized Collier's report "disturbing" that raised the specter of funding improprieties and possible criminal acts.

"I don’t want one more taxpayer dollar spent until this issue is resolved," Patrick said on X. "The losers are not only Texas taxpayers, but the students of TSU, having no idea that funding meant for their quality education was either fraudulently spent or thrown away by sloppy, unprofessional accounting processes."

The Texas Rangers enlistment could be contingent on a nod from Abbott as the leader of the executive branch that controls the Department of Public Safety. Patrick based the suspicions of possible fraud in large part on the auditor's findings on the subjects of procurement and contracting.

Collier told the LAC that a preliminary examination in the biennial audit at TSU uncovered 743 invoices with a combined price tag of $282.2 million for businesses and individuals whose contracts with the school had expired. She said the agency staff found 8,144 invoices that add up to $158 million were submitted before the actual requisition dates.

The state auditor said the school did not have "valid contracts" with some that had expired, some that were never signed and others that did not list all of the services that were ostensibly funded. Collier said the agency discovered that TSU ignored internal procurement standards, failed to conduct physical inventories and had an inadequate system for tracking assets. She also reported that the school had failed to report information for the audit in an accurate or timely manner as required by state law.

"Sadly, TSU has come under scrutiny in the past over how finances and contracts have been handled, as well as shoddy work done by contractors," the lieutenant governor said. "There has been a revolving door of presidents, board members, and school officials. Graduation rates have not met expectations. The legislature has continued year-after-year to try to help the school," Patrick added. "It appears the legislature has been misled over this time period on promised improvements in accounting practices and contracting."

Patrick contended that problems with the management at TSU had become par for the course. He wants the probe to look at the current TSU financial woes while digging back into similar situations in the past.

"Everyone involved must be held accountable, from school employees to contractors, going back as many years as there are questionable records and practices," Patrick warned. "Let the facts lead where they may."

more to come ...

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

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