Abbott pockets pair of checks, $1M each
Big-ticket donations bolster war chest, secure hold on seat
AUSTIN — Two donors each cut Republican Gov. Greg Abbott a check for $1 million the month after the legislative session ended, showcasing the wild west of Texas campaign finance law that puts no limits on political giving.
The money came from Midland Energy president S. Javaid Anwar and Michael and Mary Porter, who own Cross Creek Ranch in the town of Doss outside of Fredericksburg, campaign finance reports show.
The donors already are top contributors to Abbott’s campaign; the Porters first gave the Republican a $1 million check in August 2017.
“I don’t give Gov. Abbott advice, I ask for nothing in return. I don’t want to sit on any boards, I don’t want anything done for me,” said Michael Porter, a U.S. Army veteran who said he donates because he likes Abbott’s vision for the future. “I do this strictly to support Gov. Abbott.”
Federal rules cap what presidential and congressional candidates can raise from donors at $2,800 for each election. Texas is one of 11 states with no such limit.
The endless giving is a big benefit for incumbents, who can build up massive campaign war chests to ward off competitors, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston.
“Abbott’s ability to raise big money in a short period gives him a war chest which would discourage virtually any potential challenger,” he said.
A prolific fundraiser — aided by limitless contributions — Abbott has raised more than $120 million in his campaigns for governor, more than any governor in U.S. history.
Anwar has become his top donor, having poured over $2 million into the Republican’s campaign war chest, the National Institute on Money in Politics reports.
Anwar wasn’t available for comment Tuesday. But the oil tycoon, whom Abbott appointed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in 2015, counts the governor and former President George W. Bush as personal friends.
‘Lucky for Republicans’
Anwar told E&E News last year that he supports Abbott’s free-market approach. Texas “has grown tremendously,” he told the news organization that covers energy and the environment. “You just cannot believe how lucky we are to have these Republican governors.”
Big donations are key to Abbott’s soaring fundraising numbers. Abbott’s campaign raked in more than $12 million in the two weeks after the legislative session and veto period that ended June 16, even with his next election three years away.
More than two-thirds of that haul came from 37 donors who handed over checks of at least $100,000 a piece, campaign finance records show.
Abbott attributed big numbers to the “success” of the recent legislative session, which made school finance reform and reining in property taxes a priority. Though he and other elected officials aren’t allowed to raise money during the session, Abbott took meetings with Anwar and Michael Porter, his calendars show.
Office meetings
In January, Abbott attended an award ceremony at the Petroleum Club of Midland during which Anwar was honored. And in May, Anwar was scheduled to meet at the governor’s mansion with Abbott, Sultan Abdullah Al Angari, the Consul General for Saudi Arabia, and several others, records show.
Michael Porter met with Abbott at the governor’s mansion March 11, though it’s not clear from the calendar what they discussed. Porter declined to discuss specifics. Abbott’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment.