Spending Campaign Cash: David Mays Middleton

July 18, 2018

David Mays Middleton raised $1.7.Million for a primary race in Galveston County. 87% of that was his own money, $1.5Million. According to his latest financial report he spent over $1.6 Million for his 7,981 primary votes or $207 per vote.

Here is what he spent his money on:

$460,144 on Campaign Services. This included payments to a few individuals for $66k, $41k, $33K, $31k, $28k, $18k. A total of about 25 individuals were paid for campaign services. That is an incredible amount of money to be paying for “campaign services”.

$501,530 on Consulting. How much consulting do you need to reach 7981 voters? Many entire campaign budget for a state race are $500,000 or less. This was just for a primary race.

$153,147 on Marketing.
$49,235 on signs.
$50,990 on billboards
$15,000 on postage
$8,864 on legal services

The entire $1.7Million can be viewed on the Texas Ethics Commission’s website.

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by johncoby

Port of Port Lavaca hires deadbeat Congressman as a lobbyist #NoPlaceButTexas

May 15, 2018

Harris County Commissioner, Jerry Eversole was hired as a lobbyist for the Harris County Department of Education after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI.

Deadbeat Congressman, Blake Farenthold, who owns the country $84,000 and resigned in disgrace over a sexual harassment allegation has now been hired as a lobbyist for the Port of Port Lavaca. From the Texas Tribune

Farenthold will earn an annual salary of $160,000, a slight decrease in pay from his Congressional salary of $164,000, the Associated Press reported.

Farenthold used $84,000 from a tax payer slush fund set up by the House to pay off a secret settlement concerning a sexual harassment lawsuit against him. Farenthold vowed to complete his term but abruptly left after the House was to post details about the allegations. He also promised to repay the $84,000 to the taxpayers saying:

 “Tomorrow I’m will write a personal check and deliver it to Speaker Ryan [chuckle]”. 

Yea right. The Texas Republican Party is now looking to hire Roy Moore as their young voter outreach. #NoPlaceButTexas


Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by johncoby

Spending Campaign Cash: Former Commissioner Jerry Eversole

May 9, 2018
From the Houston Chronicle

NOTE: If you steal from a bank wouldn’t it be nice if you could use that money you stole to pay your legal bills for the crime of stealing money from a bank? Here is a quick update on former Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole. Lions, and tigers, and bear with me.

Back in 2009 an ethics complaint was filed with the Texas Ethics Commission against Jerry Eversole for converting campaign donations to personal use including purchases for antique books, antique western wear, golf, and a steady stream of coffee from Starbucks for a total of about $250,000. The complaint was reviewed, accepted, and an order was issued fining Eversole $75,000 and ordering him to repay his account over $40,000 from personal funds. From the Texas Ethics Commission, complaints SC-2712236 AND SC-2712237  :

After considering the seriousness of the violations described under Sections III and IV, including the nature, circumstances, and consequences of the violations, and after considering the sanction necessary to deter future violations, the commission imposes a $75,000 civil penalty, contingent upon the respondent reimbursing $41,357.10 to his political funds by July 9, 2009. Any reimbursements to political funds made pursuant to this order and agreed resolution shall be made from the respondent’s personal funds and shall be reported on Schedule G (used for reporting political expenditures from personal funds) of the respondent’s campaign finance reports and indicate that no reimbursement is intended. The respondent must provide sufficient evidence that the reimbursements have been made in accordance with this order.


Besides using his donor’s money for personal use, Eversole was under investigation by the FBI and plead guilty to lying. After his probation period was over he became a lobbyist. From the Houston Chronicle:,

Accused of taking $100,000 in cash and gifts from friend and real estate developer Mike Surface in exchange for steering county contracts and appointments to Surface and his companies, Eversole resigned his office in October 2011 and pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents, a felony.


He is now a paid lobbyist for the Harris County Department of Education. Go figure. From the ABC13:


HOUSTON — Did you know your tax dollars will help pay the salary of a convicted felon? And it’s not just any convicted felon. Just one year after a federal plea deal forced long-time Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole to resign, we have news that he will again serve the Harris County Department of Education as a paid lobbyist.


Go figure. But…back to the bank. In July of 2009 Eversole had about $1.6 Million in his campaign account. Elected officials who leave office cannot convert their remaining balance to personal funds. Instead they can donate to other campaigns, charities, pay off campaign debt, or pay legal bills. This is what Eversole did.

Eversole paid $75,000 to the Ethics Commission (using his donors money. He paid his legal counsel, Rusty Hardin & Associates, over $1.2 Million for his legal bills stemming from the FBI investigation. He also paid Haynes and Boone over $92,000.

On top of pleading guilty to lying to the FBI, paying his legal bills with his donors money, using your tax money for his lobbying effort, and probably retaining his County pension and health care benefits, Eversole is seeking a presidential pardon.

#NoPlaceButTexas and Harris County.


3 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by johncoby

Raising Campaign Cash: Dennis Paul Texas HD129

May 6, 2018
From the Houston Chronicle

This isn’t pretty. It’s ugly. It includes a raid by the FBI!

Dennis Paul, endorsed by the NRA, can’t seem to raise money except from his own company and another engineering firm that was raided by the FBI. Paul owns Paul Engineering which has loaned his campaign over $150,000. His current ethics report has his loan balance at $156,000 with a cash on hand balance of only $37,089.32. He only raised 47,237.93 during his last period which included $5000 from James Dannebaum, his biggest contributor.


According to the San Antonio Express and News Dannenbaum has a “controversial history along the Texas border” which included a raid from the FBI. From the Express News:


Dannenbaum Engineering has stirred a lot of controversy as it has grown into one of the dominant engineering companies in South Texas over the past 30 years. On April 26, the FBI executed a broad raid of its offices across the state, including in San Antonio, to gather records related to the company’s pursuit of infrastructure projects in the Laredo area. A decade ago, reports from the El Paso Times and other media outlets linked the company to another FBI corruption probe in El Paso County.


Ouch. I guess engineers stick together. Other donors include a number of PAC’s including $1000 from the USAA Employee PAC. (USAA is an insurance company) But….back to the $156,000 loan. Paul is one of the few individuals who bought his nomination to represent the Republic Party. Much like Kathleen Wall who put over $6 Million of her own money to buy the nomination for CD2. She lost. Paul didn’t.

Dennis might want to remember nothing good comes from an FBI raid. Ask Paul Manafort. Or Michael Cohen. He might want to considering returning the $5000 and borrowing from his company again.

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by johncoby

Next Entries »