Texas Alliance for Life, an Austin-based nonprofit organization, describes themselves as “committed to protecting the fundamental right to life of all innocent human beings and to promoting respect for their value and dignity from the moment of conception until natural death.” Once a strong, pro-life ally of the conservative movement, TAL has become a shill for establishment, pro-abortion Republicans.

The candidates that Texas Alliance for Life and executive director Joe Pojman support have been censured, defeated, and retired in droves. Despite this clear message from grassroots activists, Pojman continues his efforts to prop up liberal, pro-choice Republicans. As recently as last month, TAL helped prop up the establishment-backed Cindy Asche over conservative incumbent James Dickey for Texas GOP Chair, despite Dickey’s outstanding record defending life.

Texas Alliance for Life’s endorsements are for sale, and cost a pretty penny for Republicans with blemished records on life issues in need of cover.

According to finance reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission since 2015, TAL has not donated any amount of money over $250 directly to political candidates. All of their campaign contributions have gone to consultants, advertising firms, or venues.

In that time frame, almost all of Texas Alliance for Life’s largest donations have come from liberal Republicans’ campaigns searching for an endorsement. Texas Alliance for Life’s top donors include the campaign arms of outgoing Speaker Joe Straus and his cronies, like State Rep. Charlie Geren and many other politicians in the leadership cabal. Even State Rep. Byron Cook, who has used his position as chairman of the Texas House Committee on State Affairs to repeatedly kill pro-life legislation, is shown sending money to the organization.

$39,100.00      Texans for Jason Villalba
$32,000.00      Texas House Leadership Fund
$19,000.00      Kevin Downing
$16,666.77      Jacque & Ron Tate
$15,000.00      Douglas Miller
$15,000.00      Texans for Joe Straus
$13,000.00      Charlie Geren Campaign
$12,900.00      Texas Alliance for Life
$12,723.98      John Cyrier
$10,000.00      Friends of Debbie Riddle
$9,938.00      John N Raney Campaign Account
$9,830.00      J.D. Sheffield
$9,500.00      Thomas & Patty Keel
$7,300.00      Wayne Smith
$6,527.00      Kirk & Olga Ingels
$6,000.00      John Crilly
$3,525.00      Jodie Laubenberg
$3,400.00      Scott Jamail
$3,350.00      Richard & Debra Gomez
$3,000.00      Friends of Larry Taylor
$2,903.10      Byron and Kay Cook
$2,883.30      Jerod & Sara Patterson
$2,533.32      Bob & Sue Long
$2,533.32      Joseph & Beatriz Pojman
$2,533.32      Karl & Susie Locker

After receiving nearly all of its money from politicians or their campaigns, Texas Alliance for Life then pumps that money back into its candidates. An example is the Jason Villalba campaign, Texans for Jason Villalba.

On February 28th, 2018 Texans for Jason Villalba gave TAL $12,000.

Just a few days before that, Texas Alliance for Life paid their top consultant, Murphy Nasica, $11,866.12 to send mailers in Villalba’s district.

In other words, the Austin lobbyists and establishment donors who fund Villalba’s campaign (such as Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund, Texas Associations of REALTORS Political Action Committee, and Texas Republican Representatives Campaign Committee), in turn fund Texas Alliance for Life.

It’s like a shell game, except there’s only one shell.

Texas Alliance for Life is a go-between for candidates and the Austin lobby, that allows candidates to get TAL’s “pro-life” endorsement, and simultaneously help keep TAL and Pojman relevant.

Joe Pojman and his organization Texas Alliance for Life have taken an issue that is extremely near and dear to many Texans hearts and corrupted it for their own personal gain. While Pojman spends much of his time attacking truly pro-life organizations for their strident opposition to abortion in all forms, a quick look at who is bankrolling TAL, and where TAL in turn puts their money, shows the game at play here.

Joe Pojman and Texas Alliance for Life are lackeys for the dying RINO establishment, and deserve their continuing decline in Texas politics.

Austin Goss

Austin Goss is the Capitol Correspondent for Empower Texans and Texas Scorecard. Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Austin is a Christian, soldier in the United States Army Reserves, and a student at the University of Texas at Austin. Follow Austin on Twitter @AG_Legacy

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