Texas lobbyists and politicians dodged $800k in fines, thanks to weak campaign finance laws

AUSTIN — Texas state Rep. Ron Reynolds was running for his fourth term when in early 2016 he abruptly stopped reporting his finances to the state. He didn’t file another report for about two years, keeping secret the amount of money he raised during that time and the identities of those who gave it to him.

Reynolds, D-Missouri City, is one of about a hundred candidates, lobbyists and political action committee treasurers each year who fail to file mandatory disclosures of their donors and expenses, racking up thousands of dollars in fines as a result, according to an analysis by Hearst Newspapers.

Yet candidates with unpaid fines can continue to run for office and the committees can go on operating, thanks to a weak enforcement system that allows them to dodge their responsibility to the state and voters. Reynolds still owes over $74,000 as he runs for re-election this year.