Texas Scorecard by Brandon Waltens | May 1, 2024
Legislation to return the power to the Attorney General’s office was never given a vote.As House Speaker Dade Phelan faces criticism for his empowerment of Democrats in the legislature, his campaign is also benefiting from a Democrat official whom the Attorney General attempted to prosecute for campaign finance violations.
Campaign finance reports reveal Phelan’s campaign received $1,000 on November 9, 2023, from Zena Stephens, the Democrat sheriff of Jefferson County.
Making the contribution even more notable is that Stephens was at the center of a court decision that ultimately stripped the Attorney General of his power to prosecute election fraud.
In 2018 Attorney General Ken Paxton attempted to prosecute Stephens for campaign finance violations. Paxton initiated the prosecution after local prosecutors turned down the case. Among other violations, Stephens was accused of accepting cash contributions over $100, which is prohibited under the Election Code. Stephens appealed the indictment, arguing the AG lacked the constitutional authority to prosecute criminal cases.
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/dade-phelans-democrat-donor-at-center-of-case-stripping-ags-election-fraud-enforcement/
