In 1978, a group of Texas oilmen gathered in Dallas to discuss methods to extend their reach in Capitol Hill. They concluded that they should try to make friends in far-flung locales by spreading their political donations well beyond the 27-member-Texas delegation. It was effective, since Congress deregulated the natural gas industry three years later.

The Houston Chronicle reports that, “what began three decades ago as a trickle of Texas campaign donations to candidates in the other 49 states has turned into a bipartisan gusher. Today Texas has become one of the nation’s exporters of campaign cash to out-of-state political candidates.”

Texas residents gave $30.7 million to non-Texas congressional candidates or presidential contenders, but Texas candidates received less than $9.9 million from the other 49 states.

Popular recipients of Texan cash are: Sen. James Inhofe (R.-Okla.), Rep. Jeff Flake (R.-Ariz.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Cali.) and comedian and Minnesota Senate-candidate Al Franken. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani received the most Texas donations as a presidential candidate.

To read the entire article from the Houston Chronicle, link here:

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