Business group must reveal data

Court ruling requires disclosure about funding in Texas House races

June 11, 2005

AUSTIN - A long-awaited ruling from the Texas Supreme Court on Friday requires the Texas Association of Business to answer questions about how it raised $2 million spent in targeted Texas House races in 2002.

[...] The TAB targeted 22 Texas House races, with its endorsed candidates winning 18 of those contests. The wins were key to the Republican takeover of the House.

Last month, a district judge in Travis County ruled that the treasurer of a political action committee founded by U.S. House Majority Tom DeLay violated state campaign-finance laws by not reporting more than $500,000 in corporate money used to influence Texas House elections. That ruling came in a lawsuit brought by five losing Democratic candidates against the treasurer of Texans for a Republican Majority, or TRMPAC.

TRMPAC and TAB also are under investigation by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle. A Travis County grand jury has indicted three of DeLay's political associates and several major corporations on charges related to how money was raised or transferred to candidates.

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