Regulators fine Texas ag chief Sid Miller for sloppy accounting
The Texas Ethics Commission fined Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller a total of $2,750 to resolve two complaints accusing him of improper campaign accounting. Full Story
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![Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in his office in Austin, Sept. 14, 2016.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman/The Texas Tribune -
Here’s how much Texas candidates spent per vote in the November elections
A Texas Tribune analysis of how much Texas candidates spent per vote ahead of the November elections reveals campaigns that won or lost on the cheap, as well as those that paid heavily for their outcome. Full Story
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House member marks one-year anniversary of filing zero campaign finance reports
Houston-area Rep. Ron Reynolds, who's been sued by the state after not filing a campaign finance report in a year, says he's started a payment plan. Full Story
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![Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, during a House Environmental Regulations Committee meeting on April 16, 2013.]()
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Ted Cruz has $4.2 million for 2018 re-election campaign
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has $4.2 million cash on hand as he prepares for a potentially competitive re-election race in 2018. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz talks with Sen. John Cornyn and Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, during a TPPF Orientation conference on Jan. 13, 2017 at the Sheraton Hotel in Austin.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Greg Abbott builds big war chest ahead of 2018
In his biggest six-month fundraising haul since he took office two years ago, Gov. Greg Abbott raised $9 million in the second half of last year, according to his team. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks on the first day of the 85th Legislature on Jan. 10, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Hiding Texas Campaign Spending Details, Legally
The state is trying to regulate what some have called the “campaign in a box,” when a candidate reports writing one big check to a consultant, who then handles all of the campaign spending off the books. Full Story
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![The Texas Ethics Commission is considering rules that would require political consultants to report their spending in the same way that candidates are required to do.]()
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Cruz Announces Raising More in March Than Any Month Since Campaign Launch
Ted Cruz's presidential campaign said it raised more than $12.5 million in March, the biggest monthly fundraising total of the campaign. Full Story
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![Ted Cruz campaigns in San Antonio a day ahead of Super Tuesday, Feb 29, 2016.]()
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In Final Weeks, Millions Spent in Handful of Texas House Races
As Texas primary races head into the final stretch, the latest campaign finance reports show House Speaker Joe Straus and a handful of his allies are spending big to fight off their Tea Party-backed challengers. Full Story
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As Bush Super PAC Cancels Media Blitz, Texas Ad War Looks Unlikely
Following Jeb Bush's suspension of his presidential campaign, a super PAC supporting him canceled its entire media campaign in Texas. Full Story
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![Former Florida Gov. and presidential candidate Jeb Bush at the GOP debate in Greenville, South Carolina on Feb. 13, 2016.]()
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Analysis: Is Attorney General Ken Paxton Feeling Lucky?
It’s possible to imagine a way for the attorney general to raise money for a legal defense fund, but it’s perilous without a favorable advisory opinion from ethics regulators. And they decided this week not to approve such an opinion. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is shown at a news conference in Austin on Jan. 13, 2016, to announce a new unit of the attorney general’s office dedicated to combating human trafficking.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles/ Texas Tribune -
Fracking Billionaire Emerges as Key Donor in Texas House Races
Members of the Wilks family in Cisco, already heavily invested in Ted Cruz's presidential campaign, are also vying to play an outsized role in several key Texas House races, according to the latest campaign finance data. Full Story
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Money Pours into Texas Politicians' Campaign Accounts
The first significant campaign finance disclosures of this primary election season were due at midnight Friday, and candidate reports trickled into the Texas Ethics Commission’s online system over the weekend. Here’s a first look at some significant reports. Full Story
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The Ticket: The Past, Present and Future of Campaign Finance
This week on The Ticket: The Tribune's Jay Root and KUT's Ben Philpott dive into the billions of dollars flowing through our campaign finance system. Full Story
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Analysis: Don't Overlook Abbott's Fundraising Feat
Before you move on to other news, stop for a moment and consider the mind-boggling campaign finance report turned in this week by Gov. Greg Abbott. For nine days in June, he raised money faster than most presidential candidates. Full Story
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Analysis: Should We Take Judges Out of the Fundraising Business?
The U.S. Supreme Court says it's okay for states to bar judges from raising their own campaign cash. A lot of judges (and lawyers, too) think that's a pretty good idea that Texas might want to consider. Full Story
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![Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals justices listen to Chief Justice Nathan Hecht's State of the Judiciary speech to legislators on Feb. 18, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Analysis: Shock Therapy From an Ethics Reformer
A frustrated regulator's letter suggesting the state drop enforcement of its ethics laws might spark some legislative action. That would be a gift for Gov. Greg Abbott, who wants ethics to be a signature issue this session. Full Story
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![Legislators listen as Gov. Greg Abbott delivers his State of the State speech on Feb. 17, 2015.]()
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Clancy: Ethics Commission Should Stop Enforcing Law
The Texas Ethics Commission can't do its job if compliance is "wholly voluntary," says one member who thinks the commission should stop all enforcement activities in response to a judge's recent dismissal of its ruling against conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan. Full Story
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A Peek Into Political Pocketbooks in Texas
Where's the money in Texas politics? Well, bank balances are one measure, and here are the top 50 from candidate and political action committee reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. Full Story
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Dewhurst Adviser Gets 7 Years for Embezzling Millions
Buddy Barfield, once an adviser to former Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, was sentenced Friday to 87 months in prison for embezzling millions of dollars from Dewhurst’s campaign for the U.S. Senate. Full Story
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![Former David Dewhurst consultant Buddy Barfield walks to Austin federal court in October, 2014, to plead guilty to embezzling almost $2 million in campaign funds.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Analysis: Raising Political Money the Indirect Way
State officeholders cannot raise money for their own campaigns during legislative sessions, but they can ask supporters to back their favorite charities, or even the political parties that support them during election season. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry delivers a farewell speech to a joint session of the Texas House and Senate on Jan. 15, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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