Dade Phelan asks lawmakers to give away PAC money after leader meets with Nick Fuentes

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan is calling on Republican lawmakers to distance themselves from the controversial Defend Texas Liberty PAC and to donate any contributions they received from the PAC to charity after a news report that the group's chairman, Jonathan Stickland, held a lengthy meeting with a Nazi sympathizer Friday.

In a statement Monday, Phelan condemned the meeting and the PAC's association with Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist and admirer of Adolf Hitler, after Stickland hosted Fuentes at the PAC's headquarters in Fort Worth, which was first reported Sunday by The Texas Tribune.

"This (is) not just a casual misstep," Phelan said in a statement. "It’s indicative of the moral, political rot that has been festering in a certain segment of our party for far too long. Anti-Semitism, bigotry and Hitler apologists should find no sanctuary in the Republican party."

Phelan specifically called on lawmakers to donate contributions from the PAC to charities of their choice and specifically called out Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who received a $3 million contribution from the PAC just before Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial. Patrick presided over the trial and the PAC was one of Paxton's most ardent supporters.

"I expect him to lead the way in redirecting these funds," Phelan wrote.

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Citing attacks on Israel over the weekend by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement, which resulted in a declaration of war by Israel, Phelan is asking that lawmakers vow to no longer accept contributions from the PAC after its brush with an antisemite.

In a midmorning response Monday, Patrick called Phelan's request a political stunt, saying the speaker has "hit rock bottom" and that he should resign before the start of a special session later that afternoon.

Patrick took issue with Phelan's comments about the increasing conflict in the Gaza Strip and the connection to Texas campaign donations, saying that while Fuentes and antisemitic views "have no place in the United States," Phelan's use of the situation for a political outcome is "repugnant."

“For anyone to try to use these invectives for their own political gain is below contempt," Patrick said in a statement. "I am calling on Dade Phelan to resign his position before the House gavels in this afternoon."

Phelan also called out the state's Republican Party, saying it should donate the $132,500 it received from the PAC through the current election cycle, He said he would provide a short-term loan to the party to cover the departed contributions.

"We reject Speaker Phelan's effort to combine Defend Texas Liberty PAC with Nick Fuentes," the PAC said in a brief statement released Monday afternoon. "We oppose Mr. Fuentes' incendiary views."

'Actions speak louder than words'

Defend Texas Liberty, which is bankrolled by West Texas billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilkes, has been under scrutiny for its fierce advocacy for Paxton through his impeachment proceedings and the $3 million it donated to Patrick, who served similarly to a judge over the trial.

The PAC has been a leading financier in promoting ultraconservative causes and has received flak in recent months for its connection with Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted for fatally shooting two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wis., in 2020 and has since made a foray into Texas' conservative circles.

"There is no excuse to keep tainted funds from an organization that provides a platform for hatemongers, sexual predators, racists and nazi sympathizers," Phelan wrote. "The Republican Party, at its core, champions freedom, democracy, and shared values with nations like Israel. But actions speak louder than words."

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Texas Republican Party Chairman Matt Rinaldi took issue with Phelan's comments, mostly based on his characterization of the party's finances. Phelan, referencing the latest available campaign finance reports, said the party has $50,000 on hand, while Rinaldi argued that the state party has more than $1 million on hand when considering previous contributions through the current year.

"I think @DadePhelan was drunk again when he pulled our financials," Rinaldi posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, referencing an unfounded accusation that Phelan presided over House proceedings earlier this year while intoxicated.

Rinaldi did not mention Phelan's request to donate its contribution received from Defend Texas Liberty.

Meanwhile, one of the House's most conservative members, Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, applauded Phelan's request to see Defend Texas Liberty's donations transferred from lawmakers accounts, saying that Stickland's meeting with Fuentes was unfortunately not unbelievable.

"Great leadership shown here by Speaker @DadePhelan," Patterson posted Monday morning on X. "Defend Texas Liberty PAC’s 6 hour meeting with Nick Fuentes is disqualifying. I join the Speaker’s call for all candidates featured by DTL to publicly disavow and donate the funds to an Israel-supporting charity immediately."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Legislature: House speaker asks GOP to distance itself from PAC