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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has defended taking $3 million from a group supporting Ken Paxton in the lead-up to the attorney general’s impeachment trial that Patrick presided over as judge.
Patrick said in a TV interview published Wednesday that the controversy over the funding ignored that he took just as much from “the other side,” including donors aligned with Texans for Lawsuit Reform, which Paxton has declared as a political enemy. Patrick gave the explanation, which was heavily caveated, in an interview four days after his Senate voted to acquit Paxton.
During an interview with WFAA, the ABC affiliate in Dallas, Patrick stated that the $3 million gained attention merely because people desired it to be newsworthy. He further mentioned that apart from individuals who were not necessarily against Paxton but not actively supporting him either, he managed to gather nearly the same sum of money. Patrick noted that there were a few cases where supporters of TLR also backed Ken Paxton.
In late June, during a 12-day period before the first reporting deadline following the regular legislative session, funding became a topic of concern. Patrick disclosed a $1 million donation and $2 million from Defend Texas Liberty PAC, an organization that had spearheaded efforts to criticize House Republicans who supported Paxton’s impeachment. Subsequently, a representative from the PAC issued a warning of potential political retaliation against any senator who opposed Paxton during his trial.
The money caught everyone’s attention as the Senate was preparing for the trial, with trial rules being approved on June 21. However, Patrick had little use for the funds. His next reelection is not until 2026, he already had a substantial amount of over $16 million in his bank from last year, and he had never received such a significant donation from Defend Texas Liberty before.
When the $3 million in pro-Paxton money was made public, Patrick chose not to provide any comments. Just a day before, he had issued a comprehensive gag order in anticipation of the trial.
Although Patrick raised approximately $3 million more in the same fundraising report, it is challenging to determine the exact amount that came from the “other side” in the Paxton trial. TLR, a influential tort reform group closely associated with the GOP establishment in Austin, heavily supported one of Paxton’s primary opponents for the 2022 election. Furthermore, TLR had encouraged senators to oppose pretrial motions aiming to dismiss Paxton’s impeachment case.
On Patrick’s most recent campaign finance report, TLR itself contributed $25,000, whereas its co-founder, Richard Weekley, generously donated $50,000.
It is a fact that, in late June, Patrick received significant contributions from donors who were not only associated with Defend Texas Liberty but also had connections with TLR. One notable example is the $150,000 donation from Ross Perot Jr., a real estate developer who had previously contributed $1 million to TLR less than two months prior.
However, not all of Patrick’s major contributors, aside from Defend Texas Liberty, were supporters of TLR. According to the most recent records, Midland oilman Douglas Scharbauer, who has not made any donations to TLR this year, contributed $100,000 to Patrick’s campaign. Interestingly, Scharbauer was also the second largest individual donor to Paxton on the attorney general’s report in late June, marking his first donation since being impeached.
Patrick’s mention of TLR was significant because Paxton has consistently criticized the group, accusing them of being responsible for his impeachment. However, TLR has vehemently denied playing any part in its initiation.
Patrick supported TLR by attempting to clarify the source of the funds he received from the “opposing party.”
Patrick clarified that although he doesn’t believe they had any involvement in the matter, they are unfairly perceived as individuals who desired a trial and stood with others against Ken Paxton. Consequently, anyone who supports TLR is automatically assumed to be against Paxton, which Patrick acknowledges is not necessarily true as not all of them were.
Disclosure: Texans for Lawsuit Reform and Ross Perot Jr. have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Correction, : An earlier version of this story misidentified a donor who gave $150,000 to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. The donor was Ross Perot Jr.
