Dark money in Texas Senate race prompts Talarico complaint against Paxton

More than $1 million flowed to a super PAC supporting Ken Paxton’s Texas Senate campaign through a Virginia nonprofit that is not registered as a political committee and has not disclosed its donors to the Federal Election Commission.

Preserve Texas, Inc. sent four checks to the pro-Paxton super PAC Lone Star Liberty earlier this year. Corporate records in Virginia identify John Plishka, Paxton’s campaign treasurer, as the nonprofit’s incorporator.

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illegally spending dark money outside of the federal contribution limits to promote

The arrangement has prompted a complaint from the campaign of Paxton’s Democratic opponent, James Talarico. Campaign manager Seth Krasne accused Paxton and Plishka of “illegally spending dark money outside of the federal contribution limits to promote” Paxton’s candidacy. The complaint asks the FEC to investigate whether Paxton, through Plishka, established and controlled Preserve Texas to influence the election while shielding its donors from public scrutiny.

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It appears that Mr. Paxton, via his agent Mr. Plishka, established and controls Preserve Texas Inc., a dark money entity that has spent substantial sums to influence Mr. Paxton’s election while shielding their donors from public scrutiny.

Krasne cited a provision of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. The law limits individual contributions to Senate candidates to $3,500 for each of the primary and general elections, requires public disclosure of donors who give more than $200, and bars campaigns from accepting corporate or union money. Nonprofits do not face the same restrictions.

The complaint argues that if Preserve Texas was established and controlled by Paxton’s agent, its spending connected to the election should face those source restrictions, contribution limits and reporting requirements. Greg Keller, a spokesperson for Lone Star Liberty, said the PAC “fully follows all regulations and laws.” He accused Talarico of opposing money in politics while using a practice known as redboxing, which allows super PACs to receive campaign materials. The FEC is unlikely to act before Election Day because it lacks enough commissioners to vote on opening an investigation.

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fully follows all regulations and laws