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Renard Johnson, whose former business partner was federally indicted in a $3 million Ponzi scheme and whose business faced a $277,000 judgment in a discrimination suit against a Hispanic, has raised a whopping $881,000 for his mayoral campaign, breaking Dee Margo’s record by more than $200,000.
According to his 8-Day Finance Report, $396,000 of that figure were contributed in the 30 days between September 27 and October 26.
RENARD’S FILTHY CAMPAIGN
In the last several days, a PAC called “Protect and Serve,” which falsely claims to represent law enforcement, sent two mendacious mailers to voters attacking Brian Kennedy’s integrity and record.
We read that Kennedy “had four ethics complaints filed against him in his first year on council” but don’t read that these were summarily dismissed.
We read that Kennedy “promised lower taxes but voted for the highest property tax rate of ALL major Texas cities” but don’t read that he voted for the no-new-revenue tax rate for two fiscal years in a row and that the tax rate is, in fact, inversely related to taxable value.
We read about a hot mic moment in which Kennedy supposedly attacked police and firefighters with foul language but don’t read that he won the endorsements of both Fire and the Sheriffs.
EL PASO BILLIONAIRES CONTRIBUTE TO “PROJECT RED PAC”
By examining campaign finance reports available online, we learned that Renard’s smear campaign received significant funding from billionaires Woody Hunt and Paul Foster and their friends Rick Francis and Ed Escudero.
Between October 4 and 23, the four men contributed a total of $120,000 to a Republican PAC called “Project Red,” which is run by Governor Abbott’s former campaign manager. Another $25,000 was donated by a PAC representing Granite Construction Inc., which won a $61 million contract to build our insolvent trolleys.
“PROJECT RED PAC” TRANSFERS FUNDS TO “PROTECT AND SERVE PAC”
In turn, the Project Red PAC contributed $152,000 to the Protect and Serve PAC between October 8 and 24 (even though the Protect and Serve PAC collected only $145,000 in contributions during the last reporting period).
The Protect and Serve PAC also received funds from Ted Houghton ($10,000), Steve Ortega ($5,000), and Miguel Fernandez ($25,000), plus $86,000 from Texas House Republicans Angie Chen Button and Ben Baumgarner.
Total contributions to the Protect and Serve PAC were $278,000 in the last reporting period, including a $62,000 contribution from the Project Red PAC that was omitted, in violation of state law.
CITY HALL FOR SALE!
So you see, Hunt, Foster, Francis and Escudero were able to conceal their $120,000 to Renard’s smear campaign by hiding behind a PAC that contributed to another PAC that paid for hit mailers.
They were also able to conceal from the public the record amount of their political contributions. (Hunt and Foster each gave $50,000, in addition to Hunt’s above-board contribution of $10,000).
Let us be clear about one thing. Renard Johnson stands for nothing except the financial agenda of the big developers and their bankers and attorneys. If elected, he will promote expensive capital improvement projects, more deficit spending, higher taxation, and corporate welfare.
In the meantime, he claims he will lower taxes, even while supporting the construction of a deck plaza over Interstate 10 and a downtown arena that could cost taxpayers more than $1 billion.
By raising close to $1 million from his friends, including at fundraisers on the other side of Texas, and carpet-bombing El Paso with thousands of orange signs and dishonest mailers, he and his handlers hope they can persuade voters that he is a forward-thinking progressive like Beto and Escobar rather than a tool for our local elites.
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