Private funds? God Almighty, Texas politics are so sucky. Campaign reform NOW!
Politics and religion worked together in mysterious ways last week, as several hundred Texas ministers and their spouses were treated to upscale banquet fare, an overnight stay at the Austin Hilton, musical entertainment, and a chance to hear Gov. Rick Perry reiterate his support for legislating morality.
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Who picked up the estimated half-million-dollar tab for the "Pastors' Policy Briefing"? Only the Lord knows. The Texas Restoration Project, a fledgling but well-oiled group of conservative religious leaders, sponsored the event, the second in a series of briefings planned throughout the state, but the TRP says only that "private funds" make the events possible. The Texas Restoration Project does not appear to be registered as a nonprofit group or as a political action committee, which would be required to disclose campaign finance activity to the Texas Ethics Commission
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Critics charge that the events are an under-the-radar vehicle for Perry's re-election campaign and should therefore follow campaign finance disclosure laws. "Texans have a right to know who is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to get pastors to support the governor's reelection campaign," said Kathy Miller, president of the progressive Texas Freedom Network.
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http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2005-09-02/pols_feature6.html