According to an Austin-based election attorney, dishonest political candidates have been creating fake political action committees and making up endorsements in order to confuse and win over voters in Texas.
Trey Trainor, who has been closely monitoring Texas candidates this election cycle, says that endorsements from conservative, grassroots organizations like Texas Right to Life have become more important than ever before to help candidates win public office. However, not all candidates meet the organizations’ requirements. That’s when, he says, the candidates’ political consultants get crafty and create “shadow PACs” to hand out fake endorsements.
Most often, these shadow PACs are given names almost identical to the real political action committees that wouldn’t grant a legitimate endorsement to the candidate. For example, when a particular candidate didn’t win an endorsement from Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, his consultant created Texans for Fiscal Accountability. Dishonest candidates can use these tricks – which are illegal – to defeat a more worthy opponent.
Trainor warns voters to be aware of these fake endorsements, and to read political ads carefully. Trainor also encourages voters to do their homework, and to know which Pro-Life organizations have the strongest endorsement criteria.