September 1, 2010

A Texas judge has ordered the national Republican Governors Association to pay $2 million to the state’s Democratic candidate for governor in 2006 because the association illegally funneled $1 million to Republican Gov. Rick Perry from the nation’s biggest individual campaign donor that year. The donation came from Bob Perry, the Houston mega-builder and patron of the Swift Boat attack ads; he is not related to Gov. Perry. The Governor has already paid $426,000  to settle his part of the deceitful practice. RGA is appealing, but the attorney for Chris Bell, the Democratic candidate, points out that the RGA was not even properly registered to make donations to Texas candidates. The judge agreed and also noted that the association failed to disclose its donors until well after the election. Under Texas law, the civil penalty can be awarded to the harmed candidate – hmm, what do you think the pros and cons would be for such a law in North Carolina?