Congressional hopeful Craig Goldman, who currently serves in the Texas House, could be violating federal campaign finance laws by helping fundraise for embattled House Speaker Dade Phelan.
Last week, Texas Scorecard reported on a high-dollar fundraiser scheduled for Phelan in Dallas next month to raise money ahead of his runoff election in May. Phelan came in second place to former Orange County GOP Chair David Covey in the initial primary election earlier this month.
A group of over 60 politicians, lobbyists, and donors were listed on the invitation for Phelan’s Dallas fundraising event, including State Rep. Craig Goldman (R–Fort Worth).
That could be an issue for Goldman, as he currently finds himself in his own runoff election for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Kay Granger.
Federal election law prohibits candidates for federal office from participating in non-federal fundraisers unless the communication for the event contains a “clear and conspicuous oral or written disclaimer that the solicitation is not being made by the federal candidate.”
The invitation for the Dallas event obtained by Texas Scorecard contained no such disclaimer.
Additionally, federal candidates raising money for non-federal races may not solicit funds in excess of the federal limit of $3,300 per individual.
The invitation, meanwhile, shows host levels as high as $50,000.
“This is a huge screwup on Goldman’s part and it leaves the donors and other participants in the event exposed for potential federal campaign finance violations,” said Tony McDonald, a Texas campaign finance attorney. “The only safe bet for the participants in this event is to scale their donations back to no more than $3,300.”
As of publishing, neither Phelan’s nor Goldman’s campaigns responded to a request for comment.
