HAPPENS ONCE THE CAMPAIGN ENDS? >> KSAT EXPLAINS HIS NEXT. >> ELECTION SEASON IS OVER IN
SAN ANTONIO, AT LEAST FOR NOW.
ALL CITY COUNCIL SEATS HAVE
BEEN DECIDED AFTER THE RUNOFFS
THIS WEEKEND. HAVE YOU EVER
WONDER WHAT HAPPENS TO THE
MONEY THAT CANDIDATES RAISE
ONCE AN ELECTION IS OVER?
THAT’S WHAT WE FOUND OUT IN
THIS KSAT EXPLAINS. PLUS, HOW
CAMPAIGN DOLLARS ARE REPORTED
BUT NOT NECESSARILY CHECKED.
PUBLIC SERVICE REQUIRES PRIVATE
DOLLARS. YOU NEED MONEY TO GET
ELECTED TO RUN FOR OFFICE AND
START RAISING MONEY. A
CANDIDATE MUST FIRST HAVE A
TREASURER CANDIDATE MUST HAVE
FILED A TREASURE WITH THE
>> BODY THAT IS HANDLING THAT
PARTICULAR ELECTION IN MANY,
MANY, MANY CASES, CANDIDATES
OFTEN WILL JUST APPOINT
THEMSELVES AS THEIR CAMPAIGN
TREASURER IN. THERE’S NOTHING
WRONG WITH IT. THE TREASURE
DOES NOT HAVE ANY
RESPONSIBILITIES OTHER THAN
OTHER THAN HAVING THEIR NAME
ON THE PAPER WORK. IT’S THE
CANDIDATE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR ENSURING THAT THE REPORTS
ARE TURNED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
CANDIDATES HAVE TO REPORT THE
MONEY THEY RAISE AND SPEND AND
WHERE THAT MONEY CAME FROM OR
WENT. IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE
USED FOR PERSONAL EXPENSES, THE
LIST OF DO’S AND DON’TS IS LONG
AND THE LINE CAN BE A LITTLE
FUZZY. THE CAN USE THEIR
CAMPAIGN FUNDS TO PAY FOR CHILD
CARE TO FACILITATE THEIR TRAVEL
IN CONNECTION WITH HAVING TO
PARTICIPATE IN CAMPAIGN EVENTS
AT THE STATE LEVEL. CAMPAIGN
FINANCE RULES ARE SET BY THE
TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION.
STATE-LEVEL OFFICIALS FILE
THEIR REPORTS WITH US. LOCAL
OFFICIALS FILE WITH LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS WHEN RUNNING FOR
OFFICE, CANDIDATES MUST FILE
WANT CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT 30
DAYS BEFORE ELECTION DAY.
THEN ANOTHER 8 DAYS BEFORE THE
ELECTION.
>> THEN 4 DAYS BEFORE ELECTION
DAY, LOCAL CANDIDATES ARE
REQUIRED TO STOP TAKING
DONATIONS. THAT IS NOT A STATE
RULED THAT THE CITY WILL LEAVE
DONATIONS TO HAVE TO BE
DEPOSITED INTO A BANK ACCOUNT
MUST BE SEPARATE FROM THE
CANDIDATES. PERSONAL BANK
ACCOUNT, BUT IT CAN HAVE THEIR
NAME ON IT IN SAN ANTONIO.
THERE ARE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION
LIMITS. THE STATE DOESN’T HAVE
ANY SO MAYORAL CANDIDATE CAN
RAISE $1000 FROM ONE PERSON.
>> SO LIKE YOU CAN DONATE TO.
AMERICAN $1000 AND THEN CITY
COUNCIL CANDIDATES FOR $500.
THAT’S THAT’S PER PERSON OR
ENTITY. EVEN IF A LARGE COMPANY
WANTS TO DONATE DIRECTLY TO A
CANDIDATE, IT HAS TO STICK TO
THAT LIMIT. AND THOSE LIMITS
ARE IN PLACE ONE YEAR BEFORE
ELECTION DAY. SO IF MAX WANTS
TO DONATE THE MAX OF $1000 TO
THE POTENTIAL MAYOR, HE CAN DO
THAT ONLY ONCE IN THE 365 DAYS
BEFORE THE ELECTION. WHAT’S
DIFFERENT IS A POLITICAL ACTION
COMMITTEES UNDER LAW IS TO IS
TO FIND.
>> FAIRLY BROADLY, AS AS ANY
GROUP OF 2 OR MORE PEOPLE WHOSE
PRINCIPAL PURPOSE IS TOO RAISE,
ACCEPT POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
OR MAKE POLITICAL EXPENDITURES
HACKS DON’T OFTEN DONATE
DIRECTLY TO A CANDIDATE IF THEY
DO, THE DONATION LIMITS STILL
APPLY MONEY FROM A PAC CAN
INDIRECTLY BENEFIT A CANDIDATE
OR AN ISSUE FOR ADS. FOR
EXAMPLE.
>> REMEMBER PROPOSITION 8 IN
THE RECENT CITY ELECTION.
>> DO YOU WANT TO PAY FOR THE
BILLS SHOPLIFTERS YOU WILL.
IF PROP 8 IS FAST AND THERE
WERE SEVERAL PACKS THAT WERE
FORMED AGAINST POPPING AND THEY
ARE REPORTED TO OUR SYSTEM THEY
HAD TO DO WITH 30 DAY REPORT A
REPORT AND WE DON’T HAVE
CONTRIBUTION LIMITS FOR PACKS.
>> SO THEY COULD SPEND A
MILLION DOLLARS ON ADVERTISING
AND WANTED TO. I THINK THEY
MIGHT HAVE. HAHA.
>> WHILE THE STATE AND THE CITY
COLLECTED CAMPAIGN FINANCE
REPORTS THEY DON’T CHECK UP.
WE TAKE THEM AT FACE VALUE AND
WE LOCK THEM DOWN.
>> AND WE MAKE THEM PUBLIC.
THERE IS A STATUTORY, SIR
RANDOMIZED AUDIT PROCESS WHERE
A PERCENTAGE OF THE REPORTS
WILL BE REVIEWED REGARDLESS
OF WHETHER A COMPLAINT HAS BEEN
FILED. BUT WE’RE A SMALL AGENCY
AND WE GET MANY, MANY THOUSANDS
OF REPORTS EACH YEAR. WE DON’T
HAVE AUTHORITY TO.
>> ENFORCE ANYTHING. YOU KNOW,
YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT.
OUR WATCH STOPS RIGHT?
>> YEAH. GROUP LIKE OURS.
WE’RE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT.
BUNNINGS ANTHONY GUTIERREZ, THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMON
CAUSE TEXAS WATCHDOG GROUPS
LIKE COMMON CAUSE TEXAS MONITOR
WHAT ELECTED OFFICIALS DO AND
HOW THEY SPEND THEIR DONATIONS
IF ALSO GROUPS LIKE OURS IN
JUST A FEW TEXANS THAT ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT THESE TYPES
OF ISSUES, COMMON CAUSE OFTEN
LOOKS CLOSELY AT BIG ISSUES
LIKE GUN REFORM OR CLIMATE
CHANGE AND FOLLOWS THE MONEY,
ESPECIALLY TO SEE IF CANDIDATES
ARE GETTING DONATIONS FROM
GROUPS WITH A STAKE IN THOSE
ISSUES.
>> THEY’RE ALSO ON WATCH TO SEE
WHETHER CANDIDATES USE
DONATIONS FOR PERSONAL GAIN.
IT’S USUALLY SOMETHING HAPPENS
THAT MAKES US THINK THERE’S
SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS GOING ON
HERE. LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, HAVE
SEEN OFFICEHOLDERS ARE
CANDIDATES WERE NOT YET ELECTED
OFFICE, BUT THEY WRITE BOOKS.
>> AND THEN GOING TO PUT OR
SOMETIMES A SORT OF WINTRY MIX,
THE 2, WHAT THEY’RE DOING, THE
CAMPAIGN EVENTS WHILE THEY’RE
SELLING THEIR BOOKS GIVEN TO
HIM, THERE ARE POTENTIAL WAYS
THAT THAT COULD VIOLATE
CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS WHILE THE
TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION AND THE
SAN ANTONIO CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
DON’T REVIEW CANDIDATES
FINANCES, THEY DO TAKE
COMPLAINTS. THE INVESTIGATION
ISN’T INITIATED UNLESS WE
RECEIVE A COMPLAINT. ANYBODY
IN TEXAS CAN FILE A COMPLAINT.
>> WITH THE TEXAS ETHICS
COMMISSION IN SAN ANTONIO AND
ETHICS AUDITOR REVIEWS, A LOCAL
COMPLAINT TO SEE WHETHER IT
WARRANTS AN INVESTIGATION AND
GIVES THE CANDIDATE A CHANCE
TO RESPOND. IF THERE’S A
VIOLATION, THERE COULD BE A
FINE. IT’S A SIMILAR PROCESS
AT THE STATE LEVEL. BUT SOMEONE
HAS TO SCRUTINIZE THOSE
CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS.
FIRST, THE WAY THE SYSTEM SET
UP IN TEXAS, IT’S PRETTY EASY
FOR AN OFFICE HOLDER TO RAISE A
TON OF MONEY.
>> AND NOT USE THAT MONEY FOR
ITS INTENDED PURPOSES FOR
CAMPAIGNING OR FOR OFFICEHOLDER
EXPENSES LIKE FOR THEM TO USE
IT ON THEMSELVES TO A LOT OF
WAYS. SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THE
MONEY ONCE THE CAMPAIGN IS
OVER? THEY CAN TO CONTINUE TO
COLLECT DONATIONS AFTER THE
ELECTION. AS LONG AS SOMEBODY
CONTINUES TO FILE THOSE TO
REPORT EACH YEAR AND DISCLOSE
ANY ACTIVITY OUT OF THAT
SEGREGATE AND CAMPAIGN ACCOUNTS
THEY CAN MAINTAIN THOSE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THAT FOR THAT.
THAT’S A WIN OR LOSE. AN
ELECTED OFFICIAL AT THE STATE
LEVEL HAS TO SUBMIT THOSE
FINANCE REPORTS TWICE A YEAR IN
SAN ANTONIO. IT’S 4 TIMES A
YEAR AND CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
STILL APPLY AFTER A CAMPAIGN
IS OVER.
>> IF A CANDIDATE OR ELECTED
OFFICIAL DECIDES TO END THEIR
POLITICAL CAREER AND THEY STILL
HAVE MONEY IN THEIR CAMPAIGN
ACCOUNT.
>> TEXAS SPELLS OUT HOW THEY
CAN GET RID OF IT. THEY CAN
GIVE IT TO THEIR POLITICAL
PARTY. THE STATE, A CHARITY,
A COLLEGE COURSE SCHOLARSHIP
PROGRAM. BACK TO THE PEOPLE
WHO DONATED.
>> OR TO A PAC OR CANDIDATE
AND
THAT CANDIDATE CANDY THEMSELVES
FOR ANOTHER OFFICE. WHAT HE
COULD DO IS MAKE A
CONTRIBUTION.
>> TO ANOTHER CAMPAIGN IF THAT
OTHER CAMPAIGN HAPPENS TO BE
HIS OWN, WE CAN DO THAT.
BUT IT’S ALSO THAT MONEY WOULD
BE SUBJECT TO WHATEVER THE
CONTRIBUTION LIMITS ARE FOR
THAT OTHER C WHO GETS TO HOLD
THOSE SEATS IS DECIDED BY
VOTERS AND IT’S ALSO UP TO
VOTERS TO FOLLOW THE MONEY THAT
GETS CANDIDATES. THERE IS A
TERRIBLE SYSTEM THAT’S KIND OF
THAT’S WHAT YOU GET TO. THE
POLITICIANS ARE MAKING THE
RULES FOR THEMSELVES.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE?
EXPLAINED SCAN THIS QR CODE
TO TAKE YOU TO. THE KSAT
EXPLAINS PAGE. THAT’S WHERE YOU
CAN FIND ALL OF OUR STORIES