609 W. 18th Street, Suite E
Austin, TX 78701
www.tpj.org
Staff size: 4
2006 Annual budget: $313,000
IRS Annual Report: http://dynamodata.fdncenter.org/990_pdf_archive/742/742804942/742804942_200612_990O.pdf
“Follow the money” is taken to a whole new level at Texans for Public Justice. The citizen group relentlessly tracks the influence of money and corporate power in Texas state politics, and acts as an advocate for citizen rights, open government and corporate accountability. As they follow the money trail, TPJ has uncovered privatization scams, fraud, immense campaign funding violations and even “bought” court cases.
TPJ’s investigations exposed lobbying rings associated with the governor of Texas, as well as the state legislature and judiciary. In 2006, it turned the spotlight on the campaign finances of Supreme Court judges, and found extreme conflicts of interest, with judges accepting money from some of the court’s busiest litigators and high-profile law firms. Energy, construction and health care giants were pouring money into judicial races, TPJ found.
TPJ followed up its research with action. In the judiciary-for-sale campaign, TPJ has spearheaded a reform coalition working to strengthen Texas’ campaign finance laws and ensure an open government free from special interest influence.
Its latest investigative series, “Watch Your Assests,” investigates abuses and misuses of public assets for private gain, most notably through botched privatization efforts and state-funded tax breaks for large corporations.
By dint of geography, TPJ was on to George W. Bush before most people had any idea the country might be burdened with a second Bush presidency. It continued to keep an eye on his relationships with donors as he campaigned for the White House and after he moved to Washington. The group also closely monitored President George W. Bush’s Rangers (who contributed a minimum of $200,000 to his campaign) and Pioneers (who contributed a minimum of $100,000). Of the over 600 elite contributors, almost all got something back in the form of federal posts or federal contracts, TPJ found.
The group’s main focus remains on the overflowing corruption in Texas. A recent a TPJ investigation revealed that Texas governor Rick Perry received $3.8 million in campaign funds from families of people whom he appointed to state office between December, 2002 and February, 2006.