AUSTIN (KXAN) — There have been some questions raised by critics about the ethics of Democrats leaving Texas, breaking quorum to delay a vote on newly proposed controversial redistricting maps.
Some of those questions are related to fundraising efforts to help pay fines they’re facing.
“They’ve been raising money for this for some time,” Brian Smith, political science professor at St. Edward’s University, said. “It is $25,000-plus, if there’s more than 50 members outside the state.”
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That measure was put in place in 2023 by Republicans after Democrats left the state in 2021 to break quorum over voting laws.
Fundraising to help pay fines is not illegal because the money isn’t going into any individual candidate’s treasury, Smith said.
“That would be unethical,” Smith said. “Texas has been the Wild West in terms of campaign finance, meaning you can raise unlimited amounts of money and from a whole lot of different sources.”
It’s a tactic used by both Republicans and Democrats. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has alluded to Democrats who broke quorum on Monday facing bribery charges.
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“This is part of the optics, it’s not really bribery,” Smith said. “It’s finding a wealthy donor to help defray your cost … which is allowed in Texas.”
Abbott ordered Democrats to be arrested on Monday, after they broke quorum. The two sides, for now, remain in a standoff.
“It’s all about, is there going to be enough time when the smoke clears, the dust settles, for a map to get through the legislature, through the lawsuits, through the Voting Rights Act and ready for the spring 2026 primaries,” Smith said.
