Bay Area Houston

During this last reporting period Middleton spent $182,000 with $33,000 coming out of his own pocket (again) for donations to various organizations. He spent $63,000 on salaries (in just 3 months for 11 people), $51,000 on “campaign services”, $39,000 on “Consulting”, $40,000 on advertising, and $3000 was spent on “Overhead” for electricity and utilities.

Middleton must not care too much about spending campaign cash. Why would he if most of it is his own?

See Buying a State Representative seat: David Mayes Middleton

This is just plain sick.

David Middleton is running for a State Representative seat in Austin representing the Galveston area. As I have stated before:

According to his latest report Middleton has raised over $1.7 Million with $1.5 coming from his own pocket, 87% of his entire fundraising efforts. He paid $1.7Million to win in the Republican primary.

His latest filings claims he has raised about $248,000 during the period ending in Oct. That is a very good haul for a State Representative campaign. But the $248,000 includes $225,000 from his own pocket! Once again Middleton is buying his seat in Austin. He has since written off all of his $1.7 million loans.

So he only raised $23,000 for the period ending in Oct, about as much as Sid Miller raised. Let’s face it Middleton is rich. Filthy rich. He has enough money to donate almost $2 Million of his own money to win a seat in Austin. $2 Million is an insane amount for a State Representative race. Completely insane. 

Middleton is buying his seat in our government. This is what is wrong with politics today coupled with dark money, PACs,  and allowing unlimited contributions from anyone. The amount of money he is spending is filthy.

Ain’t that rich?

OUCH! Sid Miller is all hat and no cash.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller cant raise money. Currently he has $52,000 which includes a $350,000 loan. He only raised $24,000 in this period and he still owes $195,000 towards the loan.

Miller only has 13 donors and 2 pledges of $15,000 including $10,000 from Drayton McClane, former owner of the Houston Astros. His total loans dating back to 2012 $750,000 came from 3 individuals, Brad Allen, Richard Redalen, and Trammell Crow. Allen is a nursery owner in Stephanville he loaned Miller $400,000. Miller’s campaign treasurer is Ted Nugent. Yes. Ted Nugent. I’m not kidding. Miller has come under fire for his lax reporting. According to the Dallas Morning News:

In November, The Dallas Morning News revealed that Miller lent himself $10,000 at an interest rate of 10 percent when he was running for the House in 2000. When Miller lost his seat 12 years later, he repaid himself more than $31,000 due to interest accrued.

In contrast his opponent Kim Olson has raised over $125,000 in the same period from over 1000 donors.

What is it with Republicans sending dick pics? Texas State Senator Charles Schwertner website claims he is a “physician, family man, and life-long conservative.” yet he may have just joined Congressman Joe Barton in the republic party dick pic club. The University of Texas is investigating and may ban him from the campus.  From FoxNews: (yes….even Fox News is reporting this)

Schwertner allegedly texted the student, “I just really want to f— you,”  and sent her a photo of what appeared to be his genitals in the shower. The image does not show his face, officials said, and the student never responded to the message.

Gross. Ew. Ewww. EWWWWWW!

Oh my gosh what the hell is going on with the republic party? Joe Barton resigned in disgrace after sending dick pics leaving a Congressional seat he held for decades suddenly open. You would have thought a physician, family man, and life-long conservative would have been smart enough to expose himself in person instead of sending a text. What ever happened to the age old sexy phone call, or meeting in the cloak room, or grabbing them by the p****?

Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert had this to say about Schwertner: “I can’t help but wonder when I see you looking there, with a little smirk, how many times did you look so innocent into your wife’s eye and lie to her about your dick pic”

Ok. He didn’t say that towards Schwertner, but he could have. Lt Governor Dan Patrick had this to say: “Holy f***! What the living hell was he thinking? It’s sad I have to tell my own Senators to not send dick pics! Do it in person!”

Ok. He didn’t say that either.

Who would have thunk it? 

Many people believe the Republic Party is pro law enforcement, but that really isn’t true anymore. Case in point, Texas Congressman Brian Babin. Babin has continued his attack on the men and women of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with his latest email to his constituents:

Two weeks ago, I joined with my House colleagues to call for the declassification of the Carter Page FISA warrant application. This past week, President Trump delivered by ordering the FISA application, key documents, and text messages to be declassified. I hope these documents will be released without delay so the American people can get the answers that they deserve.  

A few months ago Babin supported the disclosure of classified information questioning the FBI and it blew up in his face. His party claimed the information was “worse than Watergate  and would end in indictments. It didn’t. It was yet another bust. He has also claimed the men and women of the FBI have created a “secret society” to stage a coup against the president. He has worn the aluminum foil hat with pride to protect the president.

Once upon a time the republic party was the party of “law and order”, tough on crime, protectors of the universe. Today Babin and his party have shown their true colors by supporting and making excuses for the most corrupt human being to ever hold the office of president. 

There will be a time when Brian Babin will have to take a break from attacking law enforcement and wipe the egg off his face.

Ted Cruz makes it hard to like Ted Cruz.

His latest stunt wasn’t just deceiving, one State Representative believes it violated Texas law. Cruz mailed a fundraising letter which looked on the surfaces as a summons. He could have sent a letter with a picture of him standing in the Senate shutting down the government, or maybe a picture of him defending his wife from Trump, but instead he used a method of deception. Many of us can smell a rat an envelope away but others may be fooled into opening this solicitation. From the Austin Statesman:

“Received this for my 88-year-old grandma,” Owen said in his post, which also shared a photo of the envelope. “Says it’s a summons from Travis County, but is actually for money for @tedcruz. Did your campaign authorize this? Is this even legal? Shame on you. That’s one more @BetoORourke voter.”

According to State Representative Gene Wu this solicitation may violate the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act:

“A person commits an offense if the person recklessly causes to be delivered to another any document that simulates a summons, complaint, judgment or other court process with the intent to: (1) induce payment of a claim from another person; or (2) cause another to: (A) submit to the putative authority of the document; or (B) take any action or refrain from taking any action in response to the document, in compliance with the document, or on the basis of the document,” the statute states.

Representative Wu’s comment on the summons letter adequately sums up why #NobodyLikesTedCruz:  “this still absolutely violates the spirit of the law. And even if it doesn’t violate the spirit of the law, this is slimy as hell.”

Texas Representatie Matthew D. Rinaldi joins other republicans in Texas who believe in buying a seat at the table. He shares the table with Kathleen Wall, Angela Paxton, State Representative Dennis Paul, State Senator Don Huffines, David Mays Middleton, and State Senator Joan Huffman.

Bennett Ratliff, a Republican who preceded Matt Rinaldi as state representative for House District 115 in Dallas County, on Friday endorsed Rinaldi’s Democratic opponent, Julie Johnson, in the Nov. 6 election. 

He called Immigration and Customs Enforcement to report that some of the protesters in the gallery were undocumented immigrants. Then he walked over to a group of Latino legislators and taunted them about his call to ICE. This seemed exactly the kind of racial profiling that Hispanic lawmakers had feared. The resulting shoving match was predicable. We won’t try to parse whether Rinaldi had legitimate cause to fear for his safety. But we do know that he escalated the incident when he threatened to put a bullet in the head of Democrat Poncho Nevárez. The Democrats weren’t blameless, but Rinaldi was the instigator. His conduct embarrassed himself, the House, and Texas.

Remember when the republic party was the party of “conservative”family values? Neither do I.

The list is growing each day of republicans who are stealing their donor’s money, profiting from insider trading, committing conspiracy to defraud the United States, tax evasion, cheating on their spouses, etc etc etc. It’s sickening. Here are just a few examples of republican values in recent action:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Currently serving and is up for re-election. Indicted 3 years ago on 3 felony counts of security violations. Trial scheduled for next year.

Former State Representative Joe Driver (Texas) Plead guilty to a felony of abuse of office, served 5 years probation, retained his $57,000/year pension and free healthcare.

Former Congressman Steve Stockman (Texas) Found guilty on 23 counts of 24 felony counts of campaign finance abuse. He is currently serving in the Harris County jail pending an appeal.

Former Congressman Tom DeLay (Texas) Resigned from Congress. Was found guilty of money laundering in 2010. 

Congressman Joe Barton. (Texas) Still in office. Divorced 3 times. Was found to have sent “dick pics” to a number of women. Has refused to resign but will not seek re-erection…..election.

Former Congressman Blake Farenthold. (Texas) Resigned in disgrace after he was found to have used tax payers money to settle a sexual harassment suit against him towards staff members. Vowed to repay the tax payers, “I will deliver a check for $84,000 to the Speaker of the House”. He never did and never will. He resigned.

Congressman Chris Collins. (New York) Indicted for insider trading. Initially said he would still run for his seat in Congress but has since withdrawn.

Congressman Duncan Hunter (California) He and his wife has been indicted for using over $250,000 in campaign donations for personal use including trips to Europe, braces, entertainment. He has blamed it on his wife and will continue to seek re-election.

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert. Resigned from Congress. Pleaded guilty to the felony “structuring” charge, and the charge of “making false statements” (lying to the FBI). Spent over a year in jail. 

Congressman Jim Jordan (Ohio) Has been accused of looking the other way as sexual abuse was occurring in the Ohio State wrestling team.

National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Plead guilt to lying to the FBI. Is currently cooperating with the FBI.

Donald Trump Jr. Dumped his wife for a younger model. Is the Mr. Trump’s son.

And you know about Manafort, Cohen, Papadopoulos, Gates, and a slew more stemming from Special Prosecutor Mueller. That complete list can be found here.

After reading about Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter’s spending habits of his donors money I thought “There are over 200 more republicans to look at….”.

Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter and his wife were indicted for misuse of their donors money. According to the 47 page indictment reported by CNN:

“The Hunters illegally used Campaign funds, among other things, to purchase the following: Hotel rooms, airline tickets and upgrades, meals and food, and entertainment expenses for vacations for themselves and their friends and family, including more than $14,000 for a family Thanksgiving vacation in Italy in November 2015; more than $6,500 for a family vacation to Hawaii in April 2015; more than $3,700 for a family vacation to Las Vegas and Boise in July 2015; more than $2,400 for a Las Vegas couples vacation in August 2011; and more vacations to destinations such as Lake Tahoe, Pittsburgh, London, and Washington.”

It’s staggering to think Hunter and his wife used $250,000 of his donors money on personal items. His treasurer must have turned on him because finding these abuses are extremely hard by just reading financial reports. I should know, I have filed many ethics complaints on the state level. It’s not easy. 

Ten years ago a small group of activists found major abuses with republican lawmakers in Texas. These abuses included using donors money to buy a condo, hiding personal purchases behind a credit card, and much more. Over 50 complaints were filed with about 48 accepted. Fines ranged from $1000-$75,000. Here are some of the more interesting complaints:

• The $75,000 fine was against Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole. The complaint alleged using nearly $250,000 for personal items including antique western wear, antique books, golf, and Starbucks to name just a few.
• Senator Jane Nelson hid $2000/month behind a fictitious company called Twin Star when in fact the payment was to her husband to buy a condo. The Ethics Commission, after a year, dismissed the complaint and sealed the investigation.
• Former State Representative John Davis purchased a pair of $1500 cowboy boots using his donors money. It had the State seal on the front.
• A state representative from Lubbock paid his wife over $30,000/year for accounting services. He only raised $75,000. He was told to stop by the TEC. A year later he was paying an accounting firm $36,000/year for accounting services. The firm was newly created and was owned by his wife. He did not seek re-election.

It sucks getting caught trading political favors for political favors.

According to Reform Austin:

Clear Lake area State Representative Dennis Paul (R – Houston) is in a bit of a pickle. On April 19, 2018, a concerned El Lago residents group in District 129 discovered that the state representative may have recommended a local mayor to a state commission in exchange for Paul’s engineering company receiving no-bid construction contracts with the city.

Quid Pro Quo is the act of granting a favor in return for something. Quid Pro DOH is being caught in the act of Quid Pro Quo. Reform Austin believes Paul might have this problem. One thing is for sure Reform Austin has read hundreds of pages of emails and City Council minutes. They might be on to something. The Mayor of El Lago, Mark Briggs did donate $2000 to Paul which, based upon his ability to raise money, is a very large donation. And he did give a no bid contract to Paul Engineering. The City Council eventually overturned that contract.

Paul has a strange way with money. His doesn’t raise money very well. He only has about $37,000 Cash on Hand with a $150,000 loan from his Engineering firm. He has also accepted $5000 from James Dannebaum who owns another Engineering firm which was raided by the FBI in April of 2017 as part of a corruption probe. So could Paul have exchanged a seat on a Commission for a no bid contract? Maybe.

I have not been able to find out if Briggs was actually put on the Commission or even what Commission he was recommended for but it is clear Briggs gave a no bid contract to Paul and the City Council took it away.