The Big Story in Texas Politics No One is Covering
Allegations of Self-Dealing and Ethical Lapses Plaguing Front-Runner Seeking Takeover of State Democrats
Documents obtained by The Headliner suggest Dallas-based political consultant and a leading candidate to head the Texas Democratic Party Kendall Scudder may have solicited money from progressive Democrats to line his own pockets. Concerned party insiders are sounding the alarm, suggesting Scudder is running afoul of ethics rules and may even be ineligible to run.
Catch Up Quick: On March 29th, Texas Democrats will gather at a special meeting in Austin to elect a new party chairperson. To prevail, a candidate must win a majority of votes among State Democratic Executive Committee members. The last Texas Democratic Party chair, Gilberto Hinojosa, stepped down during the party’s last convention after serving in the role for a decade. Leading candidates for the race include two Houston-based democrats, Patricia Olivares and Lillie Schecter.
The Details: Records reveal that Represent Texas - a PAC led by Scudder to elect Democrats, appears to have been used in part as a pass-through to pay his own political consulting companies.
One public filing reveals that Scudder’s PAC at one point raised almost $25,000. However, more than $19,000 of those dollars were redirected to a company owned by Scudder called “The Sendery” based out of Dallas. Another firm owned by Scudder, "Armadilla Strategies" appears to be the recipient of PAC funds as well.
Show me the money: Scudder has also allegedly failed to abide ethics rules requiring his campaign to file a 30-day finance report to the Texas Ethics Commission. The lack of disclosure is worrying grassroots democrats and party faithful under severe pressure to run a competent party and elect democrats in the Trump era.
Making matters worse, there are now serious questions being raised about Scudders eligibility for office. In response to concerns from progressive party member Susan Criss, the democrats top lawyer issued a formal opinion last week noting that Scudder is ineligible to run because he already holds elective office:
I have concluded that the party rule adopted by the SDEC renders Scudder ineligible to be elected state chair, unless or until he resigns his elective office to the Dallas County Appraisal District Board
- Texas Democratic Party General Counsel Chad Dunn
Why it matters: The timing of these developments couldn't come at a worse time for Texas Democrats, who are still reeling from last year’s disastrous election cycle. As political journalists across Houston and the state focus on legislative battles unfolding in the Texas Legislative session, the high-stakes race to lead Texas Democrats is quietly nearing its conclusion, with little to no mainstream media coverage.
