HOUSTON, Texas–As Texas voters go to the polls in the Primary Run-off election, the Texas Patriot PAC, a highly successful Houston-area Tea Party group warns voters about an allegedly fake group has been “formed” in the back yard of the Texas Patriot Pack. The Texas Patriot PAC founder, Julie Turner, claims the group appears to be doing its best to confuse voters. The revelation about this allegedly fake tea party group comes on the heels of a Breitbart Texas report about an allegedly fake “United Texas Tea Party” mailer sent out last week to approximately 700,000 homes across the state. The mailer in question asks voters to “Celebrate the Texas Tea Party Champions.” It lists the following candidates: David Dewhurst, candidate for Lt. Governor; Ken Paxton, candidate for Attorney General; Sid Miller, candidate for Agriculture Commissioner; and Wayne Christian, candidate for Railroad Commissioner.
The website for the Texas Patriot PAC warns voters in Montgomery County about what it calls a “Polyester Tea Party” group that Texas Patriot PAC claims was formed after Craig Doyal, Will Metcalf and Charlie Riley “finished behind candidates that didn’t have either the name identification or the amount of money that they had spent on their campaigns.” The organization, named the Texas Conservative Tea Party Coalition (TCTPC), has a website and a Facebook page that reveal little about who is behind the organization other than its chairman, Duane Ham. The organization is registered with the Texas Ethics Commission but no financial disclosure reports can be found online.
Breitbart Texas reached out to Texas Patriot PAC Founder, Julie Turner for her impression about this new group. “A fake tea party was formed to support the establishment’s choice for county judge,” Turner explained. “We have defeated every other establishment candidate and the other side is desperate to beat us. They (Texas Conservative Tea Party Coalition) care nothing for anyone but Craig Doyal (county judge candidate) and Charlie Riley (commissioner candidate) and they (and Ryan Sitton, the lone statewide difference on their ballot) are hiding behind the conservative records of Dan Patrick, Ken Paxton, and Sid Miller. They did not file an 8 day report and we expect them to ignore this requirement since the election is over soon and the fine is insignificant compared to their candidate losing. We only know (from his report) that Craig Doyal is partly funding this group, with their “tea party” mailer and temp staff handing it out in the parking lot.”
“In Montgomery County,” Turner told Breitbart Texas, “all Texas Patriots PAC supported candidates are poised to win on Tuesday. In this election cycle alone, we have seen several attempts to hijack the tea party label by candidates and new ‘groups’ in Montgomery County. Built on the ridiculous premise that voters are stupid, they advertise their failing candidates under a banner meant to confuse and deceive. This strategy will continue until they learn that a successful tea party is based on a consistent, conservative philosophy and a record of honorable behavior.” She added, “For our supported candidates and for the Texas Patriots PAC, those who have been in power for too long are on their way out and will seemingly stop at nothing to prevent their election losses.”
The “Polyester Tea Party” group has been imitating the Texas Patriot PAC even further by allegedly hiring paid workers dressed similarly to the volunteer Texas Patriot PAC poll-workers to hand out the so-called fake-slate of their group.
Breitbart Texas reached out to TCTPC and Duane Ham with questions about who is behind the organization, when and where their group meets and about required disclosure information. No response has been received from the TCTPC or Duane Ham. However, a letter allegedly from Mr. Ham on the TCTPC Facebook page appears to respond to the Texas Patriot PAC’s allegations.
It’s amazing that the Patriot PAC’s arrogance and hunger for power is so blinding that they continue to attack the Texas Conservative Tea Party Coalition on a freedom of speech issue. How can they state on one hand that the TCTPC is fake and at the same time tell us that they are fighting to protect the rights of the Constitution?
Voters, we ask you to do your own research of the local candidates and make your own decision. We ask you to vote. And, we ask you to question why the Texas Patriot PAC attacks this Texas Conservative Tea Party Coalition so vigorously. Do they attack with lies and dirty politics because they are concerned that they will lose the control in local politics that they have enjoyed in the past? Are they concerned that the voters are lining up with The Coalition because they are tired of the Patriots putting unqualified people in office?
Elsewhere on the page, the group claims, “The TCTPC is a general-purpose PAC and is not required by the Texas Ethics Commission to file a campaign finance report 8 days before an election in which it does not spend money on a single candidate. Therefore, TCTPC is in complete compliance with Texas Ethics Commission regulations and laws.”
The Facebook page also contains comments from other readers of the page. James Byers, an IT Consultant in The Woodlands, said, “Another group scamming the voters to think these people have anything to do with the Tea Party. This group has made no filings with the TEC and did not even exist before this election. Sad really, and a LIE. No one’s name is on any of the mailers, web page, or Facebook. No meetings, no candidate interviews, nothing. This group is bought and paid for by a fraud.”
Bethany Parrish also stated, “This group did not even EXIST before this election! They have never had a meeting and are PAYING people to stand at the polls and pass out bogus voter guides. Don’t believe me? We asked one of them ourselves! She was from SHSU and admitted she was a PAID ‘VOLUNTEER’. This has desperation written all over it. DO NOT BE FOOLED.”
Attached below, is a copy of the handout allegedly being distributed by TCTPC poll workers. The handout appears to be lacking the normal “paid political ad” disclaimer indicating who paid for the campaign piece.
Tuesday is the final day of electioneering and voting for the Primary Run-off election. See the May 26th article on Breitbart Texas for polling locations in your county. So far, less than 4 percent of voters have voted in this election.
Follow Bob Price on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX