Dark money in Texas Senate race spurs Talarico complaint to FEC against Paxton
September 2, 2026 / 5:23 PM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- A super PAC supporting Ken Paxton, Lone Star Liberty, received over $1 million from Preserve Texas, Inc.
- Preserve Texas is a Virginia-based nonprofit incorporated by John Plishka, the treasurer for Paxton's Senate campaign.
- Paxton's Democratic opponent, James Talarico, filed a complaint with the FEC, alleging illegal spending of dark money and violation of federal campaign finance rules.
- The complaint claims Preserve Texas was established and controlled by Paxton's agent to shield donors from public scrutiny and influence Paxton's election.
- Preserve Texas denies the allegations, stating it is an independent social welfare organization operating within its purpose of civic engagement and issue advocacy.
- The FEC is unlikely to act on the complaint before Election Day due to a lack of commissioners.
- The case highlights the increasing use of anonymous, big-dollar donations in American politics, with an estimated $1 billion in anonymous political money in the 2026 elections.
- The Texas Senate race is a significant contributor to this spending, with projections of record-breaking ad spending.