AUSTIN — The Texas Ethics Commission has agreed to review a complaint alleging that a Soros-funded political action committee failed to follow state campaign finance laws ahead of a recent special election.
The complaint centers on Texas Majority PAC, a Democratic group bankrolled by billionaire George Soros, and claims it did not file required disclosures of its contributions and spending before the Nov. 4 special election for Senate District 9 in North Texas.
According to a Nov. 12 notice from the commission, Texas Majority PAC did not submit its 30-day or 8-day pre-election campaign finance reports related to the SD-9 race. Those reports, which are due roughly one month and one week before Election Day, are supposed to detail all political contributions and expenditures during the period.
By allegedly skipping both filings, the PAC may have kept voters in the dark about who was funding its efforts in that closely watched contest. State law (Sections 254.154 and 254.031 of the Texas Election Code) requires these pre-election reports to ensure transparency for voters.
“Candidates are supposed to be telling Texans who they’re taking money from, what they’re spending money on,” said Anthony Gutierrez of the nonpartisan group Common Cause Texas, speaking about the importance of timely disclosures. “If any of that information is not being disclosed, it’s a big deal.”
The ethics commission’s decision to take up this case reflects growing concern in Texas over campaign transparency and PAC accountability.
Officials emphasized that accepting the complaint does not itself prove any violation. The commission categorized the allegations as more than minor and has opened a formal investigation.
Jason Lee, a co-founder of Texas Majority PAC, was notified of the complaint and given 25 business days to respond under oath. Failure to respond could result in a separate violation.
Texas Majority PAC was formed in late 2022 with the goal of boosting Democratic candidates and ultimately turning Texas “blue.” Based in Houston and led by Jason Lee and other former campaign strategists, the PAC quickly attracted major funding from outside donors. It raised over $2.25 million in its first year, thanks in large part to contributions from Soros and affiliated groups.
In June of this year, Texas Majority PAC partnered with the Texas Democratic Party to launch “Blue Texas,” an ambitious statewide program pledging an eight-figure investment to register voters, recruit candidates and flip Republican-held seats in the 2026 elections.
This high-profile effort has put the PAC under the political microscope. Republican officials have already scrutinized Texas Majority PAC’s activities.
In August, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, launched an investigation into whether the PAC illegally aided Democratic lawmakers who left the state during a redistricting standoff.
Paxton accused Texas Majority PAC of helping fund those legislators’ out-of-state travel as part of a strategy to block a GOP-drawn map. That inquiry, separate from the new ethics complaint, signaled mounting Republican concern over the PAC’s influence in Texas politics.
The complaint now being weighed by the ethics commission was filed by Houston attorney Mark McCaig, who has a track record of pressing for ethical compliance in both parties.
McCaig is known for filing ethics complaints across partisan lines. In recent months, he targeted Democratic State Rep. Gene Wu over alleged improper fundraising during the legislative session, and he has previously pursued cases against Republicans such as Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.
Pre-election reporting rules exist to give the public a timely window into who is financing political campaigns. If the PAC did fail to disclose its financial activity as alleged, it means voters went into an important election without crucial information. The ethics commission’s review will determine whether any violations occurred and whether penalties are warranted.
It also sends a message that, even in a time of heated partisan battles, Texas authorities expect PACs to play by the rules and keep voters informed.
