There are candidates you know have sold themselves to an extreme ideology, where it’s easy to see simply by the campaign donations they’ve reported and the obvious endorsements.

Examples in the current run-offs are Bryan Slaton (HD2) with $150k directly from the two biggest donors to Empower Texans (Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks), and Jon Francis (HD60), who has seen father-in-law Farris Wilks pump $650k into his campaign account to attempt to buy the seat.

Those are the obvious ones, where you know that you are working to preserve your community from being overrun by the Empower Texans ideology (which the hot mic tape discussing the governor is likely par for the course).

But then there are the politicians who will tell you “I’ve never met with, talked to, received any contributions from, nor been endorsed by them.”

These are the politicians popping onto the scene that might sound good, but you really need to be wary of. You need to understand who is being cagy, who is mincing their words, and who is double dealing under the table.

Shelby Slawson (HD59) is one of those politicians.

You have to understand the web of money those behind Empower Texans put together. You have to understand the PACs all funded by the same people, who endorse the same people, who send out mailer after mailer, to try and convince you a candidate is supported by different groups.

The reality is it’s a handful of VERY rich people behind the curtain, pretending to be all of these grassroots organizations looking out for the average everyday Texans. It’s gaslighting.

Shelby Slawson is attempting to gaslight the people of HD59.

When you look at the campaign filings for Slawson through the primary in March, you’ll see a names that have been big donors to the Empower Texans web, with Darlene Pendery and Violet Verbena LLC (just one of a series of LLCs Monty Bennett uses to push money to ET friendlies).

But her largest donor (other than a series of loans she’s given her campaign) is from the North Texas PAC for Trust, Honesty & Integrity (formed in February 2020), who gave $27,000. Who is behind this PAC?

The North Texas THI PAC only has 4 donors, who have given a total of $27,600. State Senator Pat Fallon is the largest donor, giving $15,000.

Fallon is someone who has over the years accepted some money from the Empower Texans web, but has definitely been favored, with endorsements from Empower Texans and their affiliated PACs in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Also notice the 2nd largest donor isn’t from anywhere near North TX.

Where did the North Texas THI PAC give funds? Well…

Yeah, $27,000 went to Shelby Slawson. Two other donations, totaling $500 were made to other candidates, but this is basically a Slawson PAC, funded by an Empower Texans favorite.

Shelby Slawson is gaslighting HD59.

Due to the campaign finance filing requirements, voters haven’t seen any information on what money has gone into campaigns since the 8 day report (before the primary), which only runs through February 22nd.

Any money given since then no one has seen. And we won’t see new reports until July 7th. But how can you tell who’s giving money? Mailers. And oh boy, do I have a doozy.

This past week, a “newspaper” was sent to people all over HD59 from “The Central Texas Herald”. I keep using quotes, as this isn’t a newspaper, and there is no Central Texas Herald. It’s a political advertisement attacking JD Sheffield, FOR Shelby Slawson.

The thing with political advertisements is they have to disclose who paid for it. And this one for Shelby Slawson was paid for by Texas Right to Life PAC.

Quick lesson on the Empower Texans web. Here are the primary donors to ET during the 2018 election cycle, who gave 96% of their $5.8 million total:

- Tim Dunn
- Farris Wilks
- Dan Wilks
- Kyle Stallings
- Mayes Middleton
- Dick Saulsbury
- Darlene Pendery
- Holloway Frost

Now here are the primary donors to the Texas Right to Life PAC, who gave 91% of the $3.1 million the PAC took in.

- Farris Wilks
- Dan Wilks
- Ralph Schmidt
- Holloway Frost
- Kyle Stallings
- Tim Dunn
- Joe Gutierrez
- Dick Saulsbury
- Lois Davis
- Darlene Pendery

Did you notice the same names? 7 of the same donors dominate both PACs. This means someone else may be sending out the endorsement, sending out the fake newspaper, running the ad, but the same big money behind Empower Texans are the ones pulling the strings, calling the shots.

When Texas Right to Life PAC is sending out mailers for Shelby Slawson, it’s the same as Empower Texans sending out mailers for Shelby Slawson. When she tells you “I’ve never met with, talked to” blah, blah, blah, she is dancing around the truth. #txlege

Is that the kind of politician you want representing you? Is that a politician you can Trust, has been Honest, and shown Integrity?

Shelby Slawson is gaslighting HD59