Dark Money
Tracking the billionaire-funded machine that protects Ken Paxton from accountability.
Paxton Research Section
$11M+
Dunn/Wilks Funding
Defend Texas Liberty PAC
Almost entirely funded by two billionaires
$3M
To Dan Patrick
Weeks before impeachment trial
Patrick "presided" over acquittal
$3.3M
Taxpayer Settlement
Paid to whistleblowers
Paxton used public funds
100%
PAC Budget
From Dunn & Wilks
"Defend Texas Liberty" PAC
The Timeline of Money
| Date | Transaction | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Defend Texas Liberty PAC created | Vehicle for protecting Paxton established |
| 2020-2022 | PAC raises $11 million | Almost entirely from Tim Dunn & Farris Wilks |
| May 2023 | Paxton impeached by Texas House | 121-23 vote on 20 articles of corruption |
| July 2023 | PAC gives $3M to Dan Patrick | Weeks before Patrick was to preside over Senate trial |
| Sept 2023 | Paxton acquitted in Senate | Patrick controlled trial rules; required "beyond reasonable doubt" standard |
🗣️ The Stickland Threat
Jonathan Stickland, Chairman of Defend Texas Liberty PAC, made a thinly veiled threat to Republicans who voted to impeach:
"Wait till you see my PAC budget."
The message was clear: vote against Paxton, face a well-funded primary challenge.
The Network Effect
The billionaire-funded machine works through multiple channels:
- Direct Political Spending: PAC donations to sympathetic officials (like the $3M to Patrick)
- Media Infrastructure: Texas Scorecard, The Texan, and other outlets amplify the narrative
- Policy Shops: TPPF generates "intellectual" cover for corruption
- Primary Threats: Fear of well-funded challenges keeps Republicans in line
The result: Ken Paxton can commit felonies, abuse his office, and fire whistleblowers — and still win a Senate nomination. Because he has billionaire-backed immunity.