Dark money in Texas Senate race spurs Talarico complaint to FEC against Paxton

Key Points:

• A super PAC supporting Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton received over $1 million from Preserve Texas, Inc., a Virginia-based nonprofit not registered as a political committee, raising concerns about undisclosed donor sources.
• Paxton's Democratic opponent, James Talarico, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), alleging that Paxton and his treasurer violated federal campaign finance laws by using Preserve Texas to funnel dark money outside legal contribution limits.
• The complaint highlights that Preserve Texas was incorporated by John Plishka, Paxton's campaign treasurer, suggesting potential control and coordination that would violate campaign finance rules, though Preserve Texas denies such control and claims compliance with the law.
• The FEC is unlikely to act on the complaint before Election Day due to a lack of commissioners, illustrating broader tensions over the surge in anonymous political donations ahead of the 2026 midterms, with Texas Senate spending reaching record levels.
• Experts emphasize that the key legal question is whether Preserve Texas operates independently or as an agent of Paxton's campaign, while campaign finance advocates warn that dark money undermines transparency and can foster corruption in elections.