Beto Kept $100k From Disgraced FTX Investor Bankman-Fried

[#TexasPolitics365]

 

Failed Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke has claimed that he returned a $1 million donation from disgraced former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried; however, it appears that he did not return all of the money, according to a report.

(Full story HERE.)
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O'Rourke Returned Donation From Disgraced FTX Crypto Financier

[#TexasPolitics365]

Democratic candidate for governor Beto O’Rourke returned a $1 million donation from disgraced cryptocurrency financier Sam Bankman-Fried four days before Election Day, his campaign told The Texas Tribune this week.

Bankman-Fried founded FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange that was valued at $32 billion before collapsing abruptly in a matter of days earlier this month, setting off an industrywide panic. Many customers of the popular crypto platform may lose all or part of the money they invested. O’Rourke’s team said they returned the million-dollar donation a week before FTX filed for bankruptcy and Bankman-Fried stepped down as its chief executive, but that the decision was made prior to Nov. 4 and took time to execute.

Bankman-Fried has been revealed as a prominent and generous donor to Democrats around the country.

(Full story HERE.)
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South Texas Republicans Out raising Democrats

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The three GOP candidates raked in a combined $4.3 million over the past three months, while their Democratic competitors got $2.4 million together, according to new campaign-finance filings.

Two of the Democrats — incumbents Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez — still ended the period with more on cash on hand than their challengers, though Gonzalez had only a slight edge.

(Full story HERE.)
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VP Harris To Host October Fundraiser In Austin

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An Oct. 8 Democratic fundraiser in Austin headlined by Vice President Kamela Harris will mark the Biden administration’s highest-profile political appearance in Texas since President Joe Biden and Harris took office.

(Full story HERE.)
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Texas Candidates Raise nearly $100 Million For Races

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According to Ballotpedia, Texas candidates running for office in the 2022 election have raised nearly $100 million for their campaigns in this reporting period, with Republicans vastly out raising Democrats and candidates for governor in both parties vastly out raising candidates in other races.

In the Democratic Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:

• Beto O’Rourke (Governor) – $31,844,328
• Jay Kleberg (Land Commissioner) – $1,434,388
• Mike Collier (Lieutenant Governor) – $1,358,190

In the Republican Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:

Greg Abbott (Governor) – $30,018,811

Dan Patrick (Lieutenant Governor) – $6,252,091

Eva Guzman (Attorney General) – $4,223,448

Overall, Democratic officeholders and candidates raised $37.2 million in this period. Republican officeholders and candidates raised $60.6 million. Combined, all statewide officeholders and candidates in the Jan. 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022, filing period raised $97.9 million.

(Full story HERE.)
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George Soros Gives $1 Million To DemGov. Candidate Beto O'Rourke

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Left-wing billionaire George Soros donated $1 million to Beto O’Rourke’s bid to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in Texas, contributing to the Democratic candidate’s feat of outraising the incumbent during the past fundraising quarter.

Nearly half of O’Rourke’s record-breaking $27.6 million fundraising haul came from out-of-state donors, with Soros’s hefty donation helping the Democratic challenger best Abbott in fundraising over the past six months, according to filings by the Texas Ethics Commission. 

(Full story HERE.)
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Beto O'Rourke Raises Record Amount in Gubernatorial B

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— Gubernatorial hopeful Beto O’Rourke raised $27.63 million between Feb. 20 and June 30, the most a state-level candidate in Texas has ever raised in one reporting period, his campaign said Friday.

In money raised through the campaign, O’Rourke still trails incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The two-term GOP incumbent raised $24.9 million in the period — about $2.7 million less than the Democrat.

(Full story HERE.)
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Beto Raises $2 Million in First 24 As Candidate; Abbott War Chest Is $60 Million

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Democratic Texas gubernatorial hopeful Beto O’Rourke raised more than $2 million in his first 24 hours as a candidate this week, breaking records, his campaign said.

The former El Paso congressman raised over $80 million for his U.S. Senate race three years ago — and, through his failed presidential bid and recent leadership of voter-registration drives, amassed an enviable donor list.

Critics note that O’Rourke raised more than $6 million online in the first 24 hours after announcing his presidential campaign in 2019.

Abbott spokesman Mark Miner called O’Rourke’s rollout unimpressive, despite the fundraising.

“It was an extremely lackluster campaign announcement,” Miner said. “He’s already trying to reinvent himself and run from his open-border and defund-the-police policies.”

Abbott’s also a relentless, highly successful fundraiser. On Thursday, his campaign announced that he had raised nearly $5 million in the latest reporting period from Sept. 7 to Oct. 19. 

The $5 million would put Abbott over the $60 million mark for a campaign war chest.

(Full story here.)
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Attorney General Race Fundraising Figures Reported

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The Texas Ethics Commission has reported fundraising for the Republican primary for attorney general (July 7-Aug. 6)

Attorney General Ken Paxton drew $38,890 in donations, while Land Commissioner George P. Bush outraised Paxton, with a haul of $157,661.  ($6,040 of this was in-kind.) But Eva Guzman outraised both, taking in $192,911. According to a post by Texas Tribune reporter Patrick Svitek.

Meanwhile, Democrat AG candidate Lee Merritt of Dallas, who launched on July 13, outraised all three of the Republicans, reporting $285,000 in contributions.

Democrat Joe Jaworski has not yet reported for this period, said Svitek.

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Bush Outraises Incumbent Paxton In AG Race

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Republican George P. Bush outraised the competition in the crowded race for Texas attorney general, but incumbent Ken Paxton maintains the largest campaign war chest heading into the 2022 race.

Bush, who currently leads the Texas General Land Office, raised $2.3 million, according to his campaign finance report. About $1.5 million came from Texas donors.

Paxton raised $1.8 million, while Eva Guzman, a former Texas Supreme Court justice, raised more than $1 million for what is likely to be the state’s most competitive GOP primary in 2022.

(Full story here.)
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Abbott Raises $18.7 Million In 10 Days In June

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott raised more than $18.7 million for his 2022 reelection campaign in the last 10 days of June, a staggering amount that adds to his already massive campaign war chest. 

Abbott's campaign said that it now has some $55 million in cash on hand. Of the more than $18.7 million raised from June 21-30, $17.6 million came from donors in Texas, Abbott's campaign said. 

(Full story here.)
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Planned Parenthood In Texas Can't Participate In State Employee Paycheck Fundraiser

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Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas have been told they can no longer receive charitable donations directly from state employee paychecks, reports Austin's KUT 90.5 public radio.

For at least the past decade, state employees could donate to the chain of women’s health care clinics through the State Employee Charitable Campaign, which automatically deducts the money from their paychecks.

Officials with the campaign asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton if Senate Bill 22, which prohibits local governments from contracting with abortion providers or their affiliates, disqualifies Planned Parenthood from getting donations.

In a January 2, 2020 memo (link opens PDF) Attorney General Ken Paxton had written his opinion that, "The Policy Committee's approval of abortion providers or affiliates as charitable organizations eligible to participate in the [fundraising] Campaign constitutes a taxpayer resource transaction. Section 2272.003 of the Government Code thus prohibits the Policy Committee from approving abortion providers or affiliates as eligible charitable organizations for the Campaign."

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