A new investigative report revealed that House Speaker Dade Phelan used a state jet for campaign activities.
KHOU 11 has reported that members of the Texas House have used TxDOT’s executive-style jets for activities that crossed the line between “official state business” into personal or political business.
According to state law, the jets cannot be used for attending “an event at which money is raised for private or political purposes.”
When Phelan (R-Beaumont) used the jet in September 2022 to attend a speaking engagement at the leftwing Texas Tribune Festival, he didn’t stop there. He then used the jet to attend a University of Texas versus Texas Tech football game in Lubbock.
In a statement to KHOU 11, Phelan’s office said the trip was to meet with Tech officials and paid for by university donors.
However, campaign finance records show that he accepted a $2,500 in-kind contribution for “food and beverage for campaign event” the day he got to Lubbock. He also had an $880 charge at a hotel for “staff lodging for political fundraiser.”
KHOU 11 estimated that he raised at least $37,522 for his campaign on the trip.
State jets have also been utilized for personal events.
State Rep. Jay Dean (R-Longview) used a TxDOT jet to attend his grandson’s high school graduation last year.
While Dean’s office listed the purpose for using the jet as a “meeting,” and his office told KHOU 11 that constituents and local officials attended the graduation, they also admitted that he reimbursed the state for the cost of using the jet “to guarantee that taxpayers did not bear the travel costs.”
Notably, Dean paid for the trip with campaign funds, which may also violate state law since campaign funds cannot be spent for personal use.
Dean later used the jet to rush back to Austin before the vote to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Another lawmaker used a TxDOT jet to attend a graduation, yet he did not make it back to Austin in time for the impeachment vote—despite records showing a vote was cast in his name.
