Recently, we reported on a website and twitter account from a group calling themselves “Texans4Justice” [sic]. This website and twitter account are paid for by a trial lawyer-funded political action committee (PAC) known as the BalancePAC. This same BalancePAC is back, with new advertisements, promoting a twitter account and website called “HechtNO!” expressly advocating the defeat of Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht.

According to their webpage, HechtNo is a political ad paid for by the BalancePAC and, strangely, contains a page featuring the BalancePAC’s legislative endorsements that are also listed on the PAC’s Texans4Justice page. It seems out-of-place that a page devoted to a judicial race would place endorsements for statewide offices and legislative seats.

Another curious feature of the site is the repeated mention of a recent, juvenile criminal case in Fort Worth involving a teen who was given probation after being convicted of killing four in a drunk-driving accident. The defense of the teen centered on a claim of a concocted affliction known as “affluenza.”

Oddly, the site attempts to tie Justice Hecht to the case. The website claims:

The Texas court system is infected with ‘AFFLUENZA’ Restoring true conservative values starts with change at the top.[…]It starts with defeating elitist justices on the Texas Supreme Court. On March 4, Texas voters should say ‘HECHT NO!’[original emphasis retained].

Even a basic understanding of the Judicial system in Texas would make clear that Justice Hecht could have had no influence over this case. Even if the state had pursued an appeal in this case (virtually unheard of), it would first pass through a state Court of Appeals, potentially taking years to be decided and possibly never even reaching the Supreme Court.

Instead of making this distinction or advocating for the removal of the judge that actually handed-down this ruling, HechtNo is more intent on carrying-out the agenda of its trial lawyer backers.

As for the group’s other endorsements for the Legislature and other offices, they are all races in the upcoming Republican primary election and most are in the Houston area. With the exception of a few candidates endorsed, the BalancePAC seems to have identified a few Republicans even a Democrat would love.

Of the many random endorsements are the likes of liberal Republicans Sarah Davis, Dan Branch, and John Corona. It is no surprise that the group has chosen these liberal incumbents over their authentically conservative challengers; after all, the group is funded by, and has several connections with liberal Democrats. Perhaps Democrats in safe Republican districts have decided that their time, effort, and money expended attempting to derail the conservative cause is better spent by supporting liberal Republicans over trying to elect Democrats.

Republican primary voters must not be fooled by the attempts of the left to influence Republican primaries. In light of its manifold Democratic connections and its downright ignorant interpretation of judicial issues, it is advisable for Republican voters to be wary of the BalancePAC and its endorsements.

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