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Records: Pro-Winegarner Super PAC Has Been Funded Exclusively by Texas Cattle Feeders Association

Winegarner/Photo by campaign

Winegarner/Photo by campaign

A new Super PAC backing former lobbyist Josh Winegarner in the July 14 Republican runoff in U.S. House District 13 has been funded solely by Winegarner’s employer, according to finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Ag Together PAC, which filed a report on Tuesday declaring independent expenditures in support of Winegarner, was funded by a single contribution, which came from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association on March 26, according to the group’s April quarterly report. The $5,000 contribution from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association was received two days after the organization filed its statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission on March 24, which allowed the organization to begin operating as a Super PAC.

The PAC is registered with the FEC out of Alexandria, Virginia, with Thomas Robins listed as the organization’s treasurer. The mailing address for Ag Together PAC is a post office box in Alexandria, with the organization’s bank and designated agent also listed at Alexandria addresses.

As of this writing, Ag Together PAC has an active Facebook account with two “likes,” and an active website. Ag Together PAC has only declared itself as spending to support Winegarner, and no other candidates, with an expenditure of just over $13,000 to Victory Enterprises, Inc. in Davenport, Iowa.

Winegarner, who is currently set to face Ronny Jackson in the Republican runoff for Congress, is employed by the Texas Cattle Feeders Association as the organization’s director of industry affairs. Winegarner has also previously been employed by a lobbyist at a state and federal level by the Texas Cattle Feeders Association and was the organization’s director of governmental affairs.

According to Ballotpedia.org, Super PACs may accept “unlimited contributions and spend an unlimited amount supporting or opposing federal election candidates, but they cannot directly donate to federal candidates or parties.” A 2012 release from the Federal Election Commission goes on to state Super PACs may not make expenditures “in concert or cooperation with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, the candidate's campaign or a political party.”

The political activities of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association have already been raised as an issue in the congressional campaign. In a debate in Wichita Falls last week, Winegarner appeared to distance himself from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association’s political activities when Jackson pointed out the organization’s multiple contributions to Democratic candidates through its campaign arm, BEEF-PAC.

“I didn’t make the decisions on who was getting any contributions,” Winegarner said. “We have a board at the Texas Cattle Feeders Association…they’re the ones who make a decision on who gets a PAC contribution and who doesn’t.”

As of this writing, the Texas Cattle Feeders Association’s BEEF-PAC has reported contributing $10,000 to Winegarner’s campaign.

Voters will decide this contest between Winegarner and Jackson on July 14, with the winner set to advance to the November general election to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon).

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