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The Defend Texas Liberty PAC’s leader’s recent meeting with well-known white supremacist Nick Fuentes is drawing increased attention towards the donors of the group and the politicians who have received financial support from them.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, who has frequently been criticized by the PAC, is urging fellow Republicans to distance themselves from the organization and reject its financial support. Although a few have responded to his plea, others have chosen to reject it, claiming that Phelan is merely pursuing personal political advantages.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has received over $3 million from the PAC, has criticized Fuentes. However, he stated on Wednesday that he doesn’t feel the need to return the organization’s funds and accused Phelan of engaging in a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation.
In any case, this marks a crucial juncture for the group, which was established in 2020 and has been instrumental in pushing state GOP officials towards a more extreme right-wing stance. The majority of its funding comes from Tim Dunn, an oil tycoon from Midland who has dedicated the last ten years to financially supporting initiatives aimed at challenging Texas Republicans whom he and his associates consider to be insufficiently conservative, particularly within the state House.
Last week, Fuentes spent nearly seven hours at an office building linked to Jonathan Stickland, the president of Defend Texas Liberty, as reported by The Texas Tribune on Sunday.
The PAC has refrained from providing a detailed response to the report, apart from expressing disapproval towards Phelan’s decision to highlight the matter. Additionally, the PAC has stated its disagreement with Fuentes’ provocative opinions.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Patrick revealed that he had conversed with Dunn, who explicitly expressed his belief that it was a grave mistake for PAC President Jonathan Stickland to engage in a meeting with white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
Stickland, a previous state representative known for stirring up controversy, chose not to run for reelection in 2020. In the beginning of the previous year, he established a political consulting firm called Pale Horse Strategies. Defend Texas Liberty, a group advocating for freedom in the state, has compensated Pale Horse Strategies with an amount exceeding $800,000. As of Tuesday, Stickland still held the position of president in Defend Texas Liberty, as stated in a press release discussing the PAC’s recent poll results.
Although it officially began in March 2020, the origins of Defend Texas Liberty PAC trace back to pre-existing political forces.
Before funding Defend Texas Liberty PAC, Dunn plowed millions of dollars into a conservative group called Empower Texans that also was known for aggressively targeting House Republicans in the primary. In more recent years, Dunn’s millions have been supplemented by similar giving from Dan and Farris Wilks, billionaire brothers from Cisco who made their fortune in fracking. They burst on the national political scene in 2015, when they gave $15 million to a super PAC network supporting Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign. They are also major investors in right-wing media companies — including The Daily Wire and PragerU — that push their ultraconservative views.
Defend Texas Liberty currently relies heavily on the financial support of Dunn and Farris, along with Jo Ann Wilks, who collectively contribute 90% of the funds raised. With a total collection of approximately $16 million, the group has allocated $14.8 million towards supporting primary challengers and allied organizations such as the Texas GOP. These efforts aim to encourage fellow Republicans to adopt more stringent stances on issues such as illegal immigration and transgender individuals.
In recent times, the PAC has solidified its position as a leading contributor to two prominent state officials, namely Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The group gave $3 million in campaign funding to Patrick in June as he was preparing to preside over Paxton’s impeachment trial in the Senate. After the Senate acquitted Paxton last month on allegations of bribery and misuse of office, Patrick faced a cascade of criticism that he was essentially bought off. Patrick has defended taking the money by arguing he received just as much from the “other side” in the trial, though that is difficult to verify.
Dunn’s network’s effectiveness is a topic of ongoing discussion. While Defend Texas Liberty did not fare well in most state House races it participated in last year, its impact is often observed in more subtle ways. A notable instance is seen in Governor Greg Abbott’s governance in 2021, which noticeably shifted towards a more conservative direction due to his primary challenge from Don Huffines, a candidate generously supported by the PAC.
Over the years, the Republican establishment has dealt with Dunn’s activities with varying levels of confrontation. Former House Speaker Dennis Bonnen memorably sought to broker a kind of treaty with Empower Texans in 2019, taking a meeting with its leader, Michael Quinn Sullivan, to discuss election strategy. Sullivan secretly recorded the meeting, later sharing audio of Bonnen suggesting the group politically target certain House Republicans. The meeting ultimately upset so many members that Bonnen chose to step down.
Dunn’s network has weathered scandals before. In 2020, two Empower Texans staffers, Cary Cheshire and Tony McDonald, were caught on an audio recording disparaging Abbott with profanity and joking about his wheelchair use. Abbott and other GOP leaders denounced the comments, and Empower Texans said both were “suspended from all public activities.” Cheshire still works inside the Dunn-funded network, and McDonald is a lawyer whose firm continues to represent the network’s interests.
The recipients
Don Huffines was the primary candidate in 2022 against Abbott, and he received a substantial sum of $3.7 million from Defend Texas Liberty. Huffines utilized this financial support to advocate for Abbott to take decisive measures on the border issue, such as declaring it a constitutional “invasion.” Additionally, he closely examined Abbott’s handling of the pandemic and took credit when Abbott changed his stance on prohibiting vaccine mandates enforced by private businesses.
In a statement given to the Tribune, Huffines refrained from mentioning Defend Texas Liberty. However, he expressed his disapproval towards Fuentes by stating that he “sucks” and made it clear that he has absolutely no association with him.
Huffines stated that his father, who was a highly honored war veteran, committed a significant part of his life to eliminating Nazis and was recognized for his efforts in liberating concentration camps. He further expressed his unwavering support for the Jewish community and emphasized his role in passing crucial pro-Israel laws that put an end to the BDS boycotts. Although his accomplishments speak volumes, he made it explicitly clear that he will always combat anti-Semitism and communism.
In addition to Patrick and Paxton, the PAC has also provided smaller contributions to 17 other current state officeholders. These include Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, Senator Brandon Creighton from Conroe, Senator Paul Bettencourt from Houston, Senator Lois Kolkhorst from Brenham, Senator Kevin Sparks from Midland, Senator Phil King from Weatherford, Senator Bob Hall from Edgewood, Representative Tony Tinderholt from Arlington, Representative Nate Schatzline from Fort Worth, Representative Mark Dorazio from San Antonio, Representative Matt Schaefer from Tyler, Representative Carrie Isaac from Dripping Springs, Representative Teresa Leo-Wilson from Galveston, Representative Brian Harrison from Midlothian, and Representative Stan Kitzman from Pattison.
Former state Rep. Bryan Slaton of Royse City, who was unanimously expelled by the House in May following a committee investigation that revealed his involvement in a sexual encounter with a 19-year-old intern after intoxicating her, emerged as one of the primary beneficiaries of the PAC’s financial support. Notably, Stickland’s association with Slaton gained attention on social media when a widely circulated photo captured the moment Stickland presented Slaton with a substantial $100,000 check for his campaign, courtesy of Defend Texas Liberty.
On Wednesday, The Texas Tribune reached out to the majority of incumbents’ representatives, but received responses from only one. Kitzman, who received a $5,000 contribution from the PAC during his 2022 primary runoff, stated that he plans to redirect the funds towards causes that align with his personal values as a Christian and representative of House District 85. Among the organizations he mentioned was the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
On Wednesday, a different House Republican named Rep. Jared Patterson from Frisco announced his intention to donate $2,500 he had received from Stickland’s campaign back in 2018 to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.
Until recently, Defend Texas Liberty had a reputation for primarily supporting candidates rather than incumbents. The organization has predominantly backed Republicans who lean towards the extreme right in primary elections, pledging to contest House GOP leadership and taking a firm stance against issues such as abortion, illegal immigration, and gender-affirming care.
Some of the more high-profile candidates for the Texas House the PAC has funded include Shelley Luther, the Dallas salon owner who was arrested for defying a statewide COVID-19 shutdown order, and Jeff Younger, who has been in a yearslong public legal battle with his ex-wife over their child’s gender identity. Both espoused hostile views toward transgender people, with Luther questioning at one point why schoolchildren are not allowed to make fun of transgender classmates.
Luther and Younger both failed to secure a victory, however, as often observed with Dunn-supported candidates, their campaigns, backed by substantial funding, compelled the establishment to adopt a defensive stance and pushed other candidates, including incumbents, towards more conservative positions.
Next year, several candidates supported by Defend Texas Liberty are running for office again, and the incumbents are wasting no time in holding them accountable for their involvement in the Fuentes meeting. Rep. Stan Gerdes, representing Smithville, issued a statement on Tuesday urging his opponent, Tom Glass, to either return or refuse any financial contributions from Defend Texas Liberty. Glass had received $10,000 from the group during his previous campaign for the same seat in the last election cycle.
In a statement, Glass expressed strong disapproval towards Fuenties, denouncing his toxic and antisemitic beliefs along with those who are linked to him.
Glass stated that he condemns the efforts made by Dade Phelan and Stan Gerdes to take advantage of this tragedy for their own political benefit. He deemed their feeble attempts as nothing more than a tactic to divert voters’ attention from the groundless and unsuccessful Ken Paxton impeachment controversy.
After receiving a substantial amount of $55,000 from Defend Texas Liberty during his previous campaign, Rep. Lynn Stucky, a Republican from Denton, urged his opponent Andy Hopper to publicly disavow the organization. In response, Hopper, whose son is employed by Pale Horse Strategies, issued a comprehensive two-page statement criticizing Stucky for turning this into a matter of concern. Hopper briefly acknowledged Fuentes, stating that he recently became aware of his controversial personal beliefs.
Hopper stated that he would refrain from categorizing an entire organization based on the opinions of an individual who coincidentally entered their premises.
In his statement on Wednesday, Patrick assumed a comparable stance by suggesting that Phelan’s actions were driven by a desperation to divert attention from his inability to successfully push conservative legislation forward.
Patrick commented that individuals who echo his demands for elected officials to give back the funds are equally devoid of political integrity, just like him.
Accepting a donation of $5,000 from Defend Texas Liberty in his 2022 campaign, Adam Hinojosa, who is vying for a battleground state Senate seat in South Texas, may encounter challenges not only in the primaries but also during the general elections.
In response to the inquiry regarding the donation, Hinojosa announced via a statement on Wednesday his intention to make a personal contribution to the Pregnancy Center of the Coastal Bend. This generous act aims to assist the organization in establishing a new pregnancy center located in Brownsville.
The donors
The funding for Defend Texas Liberty primarily relies on the financial support of Wilks and Dunn, CEO of CrownQuest Operating in Midland, although a few other donors have also contributed six-figure amounts to the cause.
Defend Texas Liberty has received a donation of $9.7 million from Dunn, with an additional contribution of $4.8 million from Wilks.
Requests for comment on the Fuentes visit with Stickland went unanswered by both parties. However, the following morning after the Tribune report, Dunn broke his silence on the matter by using X to emphasize his recognition as a “top 50 Christian ally of Israel” by the Israel Allies Foundation in the previous year. This marked his first independent post on the platform since June.
According to Patrick, Dunn assured him that Defend Texas Liberty will no longer have any further communication with Fuentes. Additionally, Patrick mentioned that everyone involved with the PAC acknowledges the errors made and is actively working to rectify them. Patrick expressed his trust in Dunn’s words.
Four other people have given six figures to Defend Texas Liberty — a small fraction of Dunn’s and Wilks’ funding but still sizable amounts for Texas politics. They include Windi Grimes, a Houston oil heiress; Phillip Huffines, a Dallas home builder and brother of Don Huffines, the 2022 Abbott challenger; Ken Fisher, a Plano money manager; and Alex Fairly, an Amarillo businessman who is active in local politics and recently gave $20 million to create an institute at West Texas A&M University to promote American values.
Out of the donors contributing six-figure sums, two responded to comment requests, one being Fisher who generously donated $100,000 in January 2022.
In an email response regarding the Fuentes meeting, Fisher stated, “I was not present, I am not involved, I am completely unaware of it or him. It has no connection to my previous involvement. It’s as straightforward as that.”
During the Amarillo City Council elections this spring, Defend Texas Liberty received approximately $181,000 from Fairly and an LLC associated with him.
Fairly stated that he does not possess any knowledge about the alleged participants in the meeting mentioned in The Tribune’s article, neither has he ever met or conversed with them. Therefore, he refrains from making any comments on the story. However, he expresses his thoughts on the crucial issue highlighted in the article, which is racism. Fairly admits that any form of racism, regardless of the source, deeply saddens and troubles him. He firmly believes that every man and woman is created in the image of God, and any attempt to undermine or reject the worth of any human being based on their race directly contradicts the principles of the God who created all of us.
