Tex. Business Group In Furor Over Fliers

Just before last fall's general election, the Texas Association of Business launched a colossal direct-mail campaign that delivered 4 million pro-Republican fliers to voters statewide. Voters in some districts received as many as eight mailings each.

In one close race, the mailings blasted first-term Texas Rep. Ann Kitchen, an Austin Democrat, for her voting record on education and business legislation. Her Republican opponent, Todd Baxter, won handily, a result many Democratic leaders attribute to the fliers.

Kitchen was just one of many Democratic casualties: Seventeen association-backed candidates in 22 contested races for state representative won, paving the way for the first Republican-controlled Texas House in more than 130 years. The association, which functions as the state's Chamber of Commerce, crowed about the campaign's influence and eagerly took credit for the GOP coup.

By sharing resources, strategies and advertising materials, the association violated Texas law by contributing corporate money to campaigns without disclosing donors' names, Earle said.

"This was a calculated effort to systemically avoid the law," Earle contended.

Under Texas law, it is a felony for corporations and labor unions to make campaign contributions for any reason other than to fund administrative expenses for PACs, such as utility bills or supply costs. TAB, a nonprofit corporation, is funded largely by donations from about 3,000 corporate members, which range from mom-and-pop hardware stores to ExxonMobil Corp.


Anonymous donors funded a $2 million campaign coordinated with the GOP. That is illegal.