You may have received mailers about the District 4 Runoff Election from this group but before you base your vote based on the alleged "facts" in the mailer from Irving Opportunity Council, learn a bit about that organization.
This organization appeared on the scene prior to Irving's May 9 City Council election, flooding District 4 with large, four-color mailers attacking one of the candidates they had always supported in the past.
The name of the organization producing the campaign literature is Irving Opportunity Council, a Texas General Business Nonprofit was formed less than two months ago. They have already mailed out attack pieces to influence the June 13, 2015 District 4 Runoff Election.
Before you vote, ask if you are being unfairly manipulated by this group. Click on the links for details.
Click here for election information: Early Voting dates, times and locations; and Election Day polling locations.
What is Irving Opportunity Council?
According to the Texas Secretary of State records, Irving Opportunity Council filed as a Texas General Business Nonprofit on April 9, 2015, only 30 days before the May election.
- The File Number is 0802194577.
- The Registered Agent on file for this company is Gober Hilgers PLLC, 1005 Congress Avenue, Suite 430 Austin, TX 78701. (Note: Chris Gober successfully sued the Texas Ethics Commission to strike down the Texas Election Code provisions prohibiting super PACs in Texas.)
- Directors are: Marvin Randle, Joe Mapes and Scott Yeldell.
- Only one director, Marvin Randle, is an Irving resident but he does not live in District 4.
How are PACs different than Texas General Business Nonprofits?
PACs (Political Action Committees) are designed to pool campaign donations for expenditures for or against a candidate, bill or ballot issue. PACs are required to file financial reports and their finances are intended to be transparent so that voters can see who has donated and how the PAC spends its funds.
All PACs must file Campaign Finance Reports (CFRs) with the Texas Ethics Commission.
Texas General Business Nonprofits, like any other business organization in Texas, is formed through the Texas Secretary of State. They are typically formed for professional, educational or charitable purposes. They are required to file annual reports with the state.
What information do PACs have to report to voters?
PACs must file Campaign Financial Reports (CFRs) January 15 and July 15 of each year.
If the PAC has any involvement with a candidate or campaign, it must also file reports 30 days before the election and 8 days before the election. The reports must include:
- PAC name, filer number, name and address of the treasurer and a total of all contributions and expenditures during the reporting period.
- For each separate donation, the report must include:
- Date and amount of contribution
- Contributor's name, city, state, occupation and employer
- For each separate expenditure, the report must include:
- Date and amount of expenditure
- Payee name, address
- Category and purpose of expenditure
PACs are also required to identify their name, and the treasurer's name and address on all printed materials including signs and mailers.
Click here to search a CFR on the Texas Ethics Commission Web site.
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(Note: State legislators and candidates also file CFRs with the Texas Ethics Commission. The mayoral and council candidates file CFRs with the city secretary's office.
Click here to view a report for a City Council candidate or elected official.)
What information do Texas General Business Nonprofits have to report to voters?
Texas General Business Nonprofits have no duty to provide any information to voters for the purposes of transparency or influencing an election. Therefore, Irving Opportunity Council is able to produce campaign materials with no identifying or contact information so voters have no way to determine who is supporting or opposing the candidate.
The business is required to file an annual report but that report is not due until next year, long after the election. The most recent mailer Irving Opportunity Council has a return address at an Irving postal center.
How are Irving Opportunity Council and Irving Voices connected?
Irving Voices, a Texas PAC, describes the organization and purpose as follows:
Irving Voices is a Political Action Committee (PAC) duly formed under the state laws of Texas and following the rules of the Texas Ethics Commission.
The purpose of Irving Voices is to promote, inform, and communicate with and to all citizens and property owners on issues concerning:
- Ethical City Council elections
- Adherence to the City Charter
- Adherence to the City Council Code of Ethics and to promote revisions where and when necessary
- Taxation and debt issues of and by the City
- Governance without influence from outside sources
- Total transparency in government in the printed and spoken word
Irving Voices' expenditures have been almost exclusively to pay for ads in the Irving Rambler prior to city and school elections.
Irving Voices' income has come primarily from Marvin and Bobbie Randle. Between April 10, 2011 and April 25, 2015, they have
contributed $36,569.90 to the PAC.
Joe Mapes, another director of Irving Opportunity Council has also been a generous donor to Irving Voices.
Click here for Irving Voices' CFRs filed prior to April 28, 2015.
Click here for Irving Voices' CFRs filed after April 28, 2015, then search for Irving Voices.
Conclusions?
Hmm...
Two major contributors to Irving Voices PAC (Randle and Mapes) take their money and form a business entity that has no duty or requirement to report their funds or expenditures to Irving voters.
They can spend as much money as they wish targeting a candidate whom they previously supported--and they don't have to disclose any information to you, the voter!
Any chance District 4 voters are being unfairly manipulated?
Irony...
And, these are the same people whose Irving Voices PAC touts its purpose as promoting, informing and communicating with citizens about:
- Ethical City Council elections;
- Governance without influence from outside sources; and
- Total transparency in government in the printed and spoken word.
