HoustonChronicle.com - Law is clear: Statutes ban use of corporate cash to affect elections: "Law is clear"
Law is clear
Texas statutes ban the use of corporate cash to affect the outcome of elections.
Earlier in the legislative session, some legislators argued that the state's law banning corporate and union campaign contributions was so vague as to be unenforceable. Simultaneously, they opposed a bill that would make the law's meaning indisputable.
State District Judge Joe Hart ruled Thursday, in effect, that the law is clear enough as it stands: Hundreds of thousands of unreported corporate and individual donations to Texans for a Republican Majority were used to affect the outcome of Texas House elections in 2002. More than $600,000 in donations and corresponding expenditures should have been reported to the Texas Ethics Commission, but were not. By extension, corporate donations that need to be reported are the same sort of donations banned by law.
The judge's ruling came in a civil lawsuit filed by five losing Democratic candidates against Bill Ceverha, treasurer of the political action committee attached to Texans for a Republican Majority. Ceverha's attorney defended the use of corporate money and complained, with some accuracy, that the Democrats were sore losers. But the foul mood and resentment of the plaintiffs do not excuse wrongdoing by the defendant. If they did, no defendant would be found liable.
Officials of the political action committee helped the plaintiffs to prove their case when they sent letters to corporate donors vowing that the money they gave would be used to help Republican candidates.
The civil suit is separate from the indictments of three TRMPAC officials and eight corporations in connection with an investigation of alleged campaign violations by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle. However, Judge Hart's ruling bolsters Earle's case that the use of corporate cash to win Texas House elections is improper and illegal.