Texas Democrats break quorum, ask for donations for fines. Is it ethical?

AUSTIN (KXAN)—There have been some questions raised by critics about the ethics around Democrats leaving Texas, breaking quorum to delay a vote on newly proposed controversial redistricting maps.

Some of those questions are related to fundraising efforts to help pay fines they’re facing.

“They’ve been raising money for this for some time,” St. Edward’s University Professor of Political Science, Brian Smith said. “It is $25,000 plus, if there’s more than 50 members outside the state.”

That measure was put in place back in 2023 by Republicans after Democrats left the state in 2021 to break quorum over voting laws.

Fundraising to help pay fines is not illegal because the money isn’t going into any individual candidate’s treasury, Smith said.

“That would be unethical,” Smith said. “Texas has been the wild west in terms of campaign finance, meaning you can raise unlimited amounts of money and from a whole lot of different sources.”

It’s a tactic used by both Republicans and Democrats. Governor Abbott has eluded to Democrats who broke quorum on Monday, of facing bribery charges.

“This is part of the optics, it’s not really bribery,” Smith said. “It’s finding a wealthy donor to help defray your cost…which is allowed in Texas.”

Abbott did order for Democrats to be arrested on Monday, after breaking quorum.

And the two sides, for now, remain in a standoff.

“It’s all about is there going to be enough time when the smoke clears, the dust settles, for a map to get through the legislature, through the lawsuits, through the Voting Rights Act and ready for the spring 2026, primaries,” Smith said.