Editor’s Note: This column was originally featured in Dallas Morning News. Here is the columnist Glen Rogers contributed to.
Glenn Rogers
It’s depressingly easy to follow the money that drives Austin’s decisions
“But who is? Who is it? Who is it true?
And who doesn’t care anymore?
I’ve been wrong all the time, but I’m continuing
As long as you maintain your eyesight.”
Classic country song “Who’s Cheatin ‘Who” lamented the continued continued sexual injustice.
When I give lots of Pontifiction windshield time while I’m keeping cattle here on a ranch, I’m forced to associate this classic country song (which always involves Lynn) with the Texas government.
In late June 2023, led by former state MP Jonathan Stickland and funded primarily by Texas billionaires Tim Dunn and Faris Wilkes, providing $1 million donations and $2 million in loans to Lt. Gen. Dan Patrick’s campaign. This was one of the biggest campaign contributions in Texas history.
Patrick was the chief judge of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s firing each trial, and you guessed by two people who are campaigning for the most difficult one against Paxton’s firing each. Believe it or not, Paxton was acquitted of all charges of fire each.
“Even so, who is it? Who is it true?”
Patrick later announced that he would invest $3 million in Israeli government bonds after a former Texas Liberty Pack leader was captured as he met anti-Semuseum.
The optics and timing of these contributions, whether or not they had evil intentions on Patrick’s part, were horrifying, but hey, “Who cares no more?”
On December 7, 2022, Gov. Governor Greg Abbott ordered all state agencies to ban the use of tiktok on government-issued devices due to the ongoing and growing threat that made the Chinese Communist Party accessible to critical US information and infrastructure.
A year later, the voucher defeat fumed at the 4th special session of the Texas Legislature, and the Abbott Campaign told Patrick to “hold my beer,” accepting a $6 million donation from Jeff Yass, doubling Patrick’s $3 million gift at his loss, and taking the lead in the “Best Campaign Contribution” award.
Yass co-founded Susquehanna International Group, a trading company based in Philadelphia. It owns a 15% stake in Bytedance, Tiktok’s China-based parent company. According to NBC News, his personal interest is $21 billion.
According to Open Secrets, Yass is one of the nation’s largest political donors, with massive chunks going to the Pro-Voucher School Freedom Fund and Club for Growth. Overall, Yass has poured over $10 million into Abbott’s crusades, purging rural anti-voucher Republicans in the Texas home.
“But who are you? Who is it true?
Who doesn’t care anymore? ”
The Supreme Court awarded Citizen Uniform and the Federal Election Commission in 2010, allowing businesses and other outside groups to spend unlimited amounts of money on elections. Money has always had a corrupt influence on politics, but the problem has gotten worse once citizens united. Civic leaders with a strong desire for public services have been replaced by candidates who cater to wealthy donors.
Combined with the exorbitant reported cash contributions and the incredible growth of hidden “dark money” strategies, you have a virtual exclusion of representative government.
Lawmakers who vote for district profits against the profits of large-money donors are usually guaranteed to their main enemies, along with unfair character assassinations and smear campaigns that only large-money can buy.
While Citizens United is currently entrenched in the reality of their political campaigns, there are steps that can be taken in close loopholes in reporting and tracking dark money profits.
At the 88th Texas Legislative Conference, I wrote a bill that would greatly increase transparency in the Texas elections. House Bill 2629 was the most important campaign transparency bill introduced in the past few sessions. The candidate or political organisation requested that if the cost of opposing another candidate of the same race be submitted, they should report the candidates they support.
Surprisingly, if money is spent on a 100% negative smear campaign, contributions are reported, but not tied to a campaign of candidates who are profiting from the smear campaign. We all know about the massive mailing that floods your mailboxes during campaign season. We all receive endless text messages that will smear local elected officials. Many of my constituents completely understood the hateful lies and negative campaigns, wondering, “Who is paying for this?”
My campaign’s transparency bill passed both rooms in flight colours at 31-0 in the Senate and 147-1 in the House. The only objection came from Rep. Brian Slaton of Loise City, backed by Dan Wilkes. The bill was on track to bring about great disruption and massive disruption in the world of dark money and political puppets.
Still, in the face of this overwhelming support, Abbott rejected the bill. With Penn’s quick strokes, he killed this important, super-majority supported bill that brings more transparency and accountability to Texas voters.
Why does the governor oppose transparency and accountability? Checks from Yass will not arrive until a few months later. Did he know it was coming? Has veto had something to do with his campaign against rural conservatives? Was it a personal revenge against me? I asked the governor’s office to give an explanation to the public. He hasn’t responded.
“It’s always wrong, but it continues
As long as you maintain your eyesight.”
Glen Rogers is a rancher and veterinarian in Palopinto County. He served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2021 to 2025. He is a columnist who donates Dallas Morning News.
