Logo via Protect and Serve Texas PAC
According to a recently filed finance report by Austin-based Protect and Serve Texas PAC, over half of their recent contributions have come from sources with links to Amarillo Matters PAC.
As we had previously reported, a mailer from Protect and Serve Texas PAC supporting Amarillo City Council candidates Dean Crump, Don Tipps, Katt Massey, and Les Simpson recently recently appeared in local mailboxes. (Don Tipps has since denounced the endorsement.) The mailer used a similar design style to previous mailers from Amarillo Matter PAC.
Edward Bradley, Trevor Caviness, John Clemens, Ralph Ellis, James Gaut, Jason Herrick, Michael Hughes, Cliff Bickerstaff, Kevin Holden, Ronnie Hudson, and Robert Gross, all of whom are listed as donors to Protect and Serve PAC, have previously donated to Amarillo Matters PAC. In fact, several of these donors are also on the Board of Directors for Amarillo Matters, with Herrick serving as President, Caviness serving as Vice President, and Mike Hughes sitting on the board.
Amarillo Matters PAC President Jason Herrick donates to Protect and Serve PAC
Additionally, while Protect and Serve donor Ben Whittenburg has not personally donated to Amarillo Matters, he is listed as an owner of Gaut Whittenburg Emerson Commercial Real Estate, which did donate to Amarillo Matters. Another Protect and Serve PAC donor, Jeff Chesnut, is not listed as a donor on any Amarillo Matters PAC finance reports, but he did give to Amarillo Matters PAC-backed Ginger Nelson’s mayoral reelection campaign in 2021.
In total, Amarillo Matters connected donors gave $26,000 to Protect and Serve.
The finance report from Protect and Serve also shines some light on the mailer itself. The mailer appears to be listed as an “unpaid incurred obligation” in the amount of $16,683.65. The bill is due to be paid to Murphy Nasica & Associates, a consulting firm which was previously used by Amarillo Matters.
Screenshot of unpaid incurred obligation for mailer
In response to the mailer, City Council Place 2 candidate Don Tipps disavowed the endorsement. Place 4 candidate Les Simpson also distanced himself, but did not appear to explicitly disavow the endorsement. Neither Massey nor Crump appear to have publicly commented.
Early voting continues on Monday and Tuesday,. Election Day is Saturday, May 6th.