The latest campaign finance news from The Texas Tribune.
Craig James, the former sports commentator who is running to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, has released his tax returns from the last five years. Expect his opponents to follow suit. Full Story
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When Gov. Rick Perry left the presidential campaign trail Thursday, he took his considerable fundraising muscle with him. His departure frees up his federal campaign coffers and the support of the Super PAC that backed Perry. Full Story
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The team over at ProPublica has created a new news app called PAC Track that tracks Super PAC expenditures. The Make Us Great Again Super PAC has spent $3.8 million in support of Rick Perry. Endorse Liberty, the Ron Paul Super PAC, has spent nearly $3 million. Full Story
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Four of the state's top officeholders each raised more than $1 million during the second half of 2011. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who is running for the U.S. Senate, raised $1.5 million for his federal campaign account during the fourth quarter alone. Full Story
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With Texas' redistricting maps still the subject of court battles, the date of the primary elections remains uncertain. And that is causing a fundraising hurdle for a number of candidates. Full Story
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Rick Perry attacked Mitt Romney on Tuesday for his history at Bain Capital, a private equity firm. Similar companies, though, have contributed generously over the past 11 years to the Texas governor's campaigns. Full Story
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In politics, one man’s mistake is another’s opportunity. Now that state Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, has been sentenced for “double dipping,” opposition researchers in this primary season are scrambling for other examples. Full Story
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Aaronson on Rick Perry's Texas Enterprise Fund, Aguliar on the DOJ's Joe Arpaio problem, Galbraith on the uncertainty about Texas' electric grid, Grissom and Schwartz of The New York Times on the latest in the Michael Morton case, Hamilton on the first leg of Perry's Iowa bus tour, Murphy and McLain unveil our new campaign finance database, Ramsey et al. go live with the first round of our 2012 election brackets, Root on a GOP rival's queries about Perry's pension play, M. Smith contrasts the various school finance lawsuits and Tan, Dehn and Murphy on a shortage of mental health professionals: The best of our best content from December 19-23, 2011. Full Story
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Using information provided by the Texas Ethics Commission, we have built a new interface for accessing campaign contributions and expenditures dating back to 2000 — our most comprehensive campaign finance database yet. Full Story
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Root on Rick Perry's controversial new ad, Tan on the fallout, Aaronson's map of where the food stamps go, my interview with Stephen Colbert's campaign finance lawyer, Aguilar on the drop in the number of illegal immigrants crossing into Texas, Hamilton on the growth of unregulated colleges, Galbraith's interview with S. David Freeman on the environmental failures of public power, Grissom on the newest state agency and and Hamilton and M. Smith on a sudden change at the top of UT's law school: The best of our best content from December 5 to 9, 2011. Full Story
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TT Interview with Trevor Potter, the former chairman of the Federal Election Commission. Full Story
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Stephen Colbert's lawyer on campaign finance, why donors actually want limits on their giving and how to run a presidential campaign without the hassle of a candidate. Full Story
He may be the new Republican presidential front-runner, but Newt Gingrich has been well behind his rivals in raising campaign cash from Texas. Full Story
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Rep. Joe Driver and Travis County prosecutors come to terms on his legislative expense accounts. Full Story
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Use our latest news application to search federal campaign contributions to U.S. House and Senate candidates in Texas in the 2012 election cycle. Filter your search by candidate, party, chamber, donor, location and donation amount. Full Story
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State Rep. Joe Driver, who acknowledged pocketing taxpayer reimbursements for travel paid by his campaign, will enter a guilty plea on abuse-of-office charges, a third-degree felony, a top prosecutor said Tuesday night. Full Story
So far, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul has spent the most campaign money in Texas of any presidential candidate, with Gov. Rick Perry second. Use our news application to search federal campaign expenditures in Texas by all the presidential candidates. Full Story
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The latest UT/TT Poll on the 2012 race and other issues, Root on Herman Cain's stumble, Ramshaw and Titus on Texas Republicans who don't support Perry, Murphy maps presidential fundraising in Texas, Philpott on changing the constitution for parks and education, Hamilton on a case of higher ed separation anxiety, Grissom on the state's breakup with a death penalty witness, Galbraith on a congressman's search for a big leak, Aguilar on the Border Patrol's effort to operate in environmentally protected areas and Aaronson on a dramatic drop in government employment in Texas: The best of our best content from October 31 to November 4, 2011. Full Story
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Use our news application to search campaign contributions Texas donors have made to presidential candidates so far in the 2012 election cycle. Full Story
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Want to see where in Texas Gov. Rick Perry, his GOP opponents Mitt Romney and Ron Paul or President Barack Obama have received the most financial support? Explore our visualization of presidential contributions broken down by ZIP code. Full Story
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