Repercussions rare for violating campaign ethics laws in Texas due to attorney general’s office

A review by The Texas Tribune found that the number of politicians, lobbyists and political action committees that owe fines for breaking state campaign finance laws has exploded in recent years, but payment hasn't. The Texas Ethics Commission relies on the state attorney general to enforce payment of fines for violations. And under Ken Paxton, that has rarely happened. Since Paxton took office in 2015, the ethics commission has referred 2,500 unpaid fines to the attorney general for enforcement. The Tribune found that Paxton’s office has filed 175 enforcement lawsuits, or 7% of the cases. A report prepared by the commission last year suggested the Legislature give the panel more enforcement power.