Lump sum payments from campaign and political action committees to consultants are blocking the public view of Texas campaign spending.
At the moment, the public is being asked to trust that these dollars have valid final destinations. That’s because they are simply reported, sometimes in six-figure amounts, as “consulting” or “consulting fees,” according to a recent San Antonio Express-News article.
Members of the Texas Ethics Commission showed some interest earlier this year in closing the reporting gaps, but the commission has been faced with significant pushback from consultants, who claim that disclosure would require giving away trade secrets. Continue…
————————