HE IS NOT THE
MAN YOU THINK
John Whitmire has been a figure in Texas politics for half a century. How has he been an elected official serving for your benefit?
Whitmire has been investigated for numerous ethics scandals and used his position as Chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee to corruptly benefit himself. He has faced “persistent charges of conflict of interest” in his decades in the Texas Legislature and has no problem letting the “public and private blur” at the expense of his own constituents. His narcissistic, greedy, and distructive behavior doesn’t end there.
Whitmire’s Record
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“Your” State Senator
- Controversies surrounding position on Texas Pension Review Board
- Named among the worst legislators of 2023
- Supports cashless bail
- Called “Quitmire” by Democratic colleagues for a reason
- Terrible on criminal justice reform
- Helped to disenfranchise minorities, particularly Hispanics
- Agreed to a redistricting plan that excluded Hispanic neighborhoods from his senate district
- Was a part of the Texas Eleven to avoid Republican gerrymandering but broke rank
- Accused of pushing challenges to potential “illegal aliens” voting to “intimidate” Hispanic voters
- Allegedly was seen at a Rockets game after missing a Senate session
- Was described as “prickly…irreverent…belligerent when riled”
- Whitmire is well known in the state legislature for his “abrasive personality” and his temper tantrums, as well as his inability to listen.
- Was rated as one of the worst state legislators by Texas Monthly
- Blamed the victim who was killed when he tried to repossess the car of an owner who was behind on payments
- Was allegedly aware of plea deal that his client took before perjuring himself on the stand
- Called for deployment of DPS officers to Houston, despite controversy of program in Austin
- Said “don’t commit a crime” when asked about the lack of air conditioning in prisons killing inmates
- Introduced a bill calling for arbitration between the City of Houston and its Firefighters
- Criticized for using a legislative continuance to delay a rape trial
- Said that Judges should not be given holidays and weekends to eliminate backlog
- Voted for work requirements and limits on benefit size for AFDC
Legislation/Voting Record
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Criminal Justice Reform
- Voted for creating the DRP, which targeted poor people
- His criminal justice reform bill was criticized by the family of the victim that the bill was named for
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Death Penalty
- Gutted bill creating a system to determine whether death penalty defendants were mentally disabled
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Disclosure
- Voted to gut a bill designed to make lawmakers disclose how they made their living
- Voted against campaign finance reform bill – which would have required the disclosure of more donor information
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Property
- Opposed a bill restricting citizens from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia from purchasing lands
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Weapons
- Supported and revived a concealed handgun bill promised to be vetoed by Gov. Ann Richards
- Repealed concealed handgun license requirements on different types of guns
- Voted to allow concealed handgun license renewals without required classes
- Voted for allowing concealed handgun owners to keep guns in locked cars at places of employment
- Voted to prohibit requiring social security number for concealed handgun license application or renewal
- Voted to allow school employees to store firearms on in their locked vehicles on school property
- Voted for a concealed campus carry bill…TWICE
- Told Committee members that if they did not pass campus carry bill, a stricter one could come up
- Voted to allow school employees to store firearms on in their locked vehicles on school property
- Voted to require the facilitation of expanding and retaining the number of firearm manufacturers
- Voted for “castle doctrine bill” clarifying rights to shoot in self-defense
- Voted to reduce the fee for firearm carry licenses
- Received the 10th most money from the NRA and TSRA of all TX politicians since 2000
- Said felony penalties for violations of child-gun access laws bills were too harsh
- Spoke in favor of and voted for bill to reduce class time required for concealed gun permit
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Sentencing/Mandatory Minimums
- Overhauled the entire penal code, leading to longer, harsher sentences for nonviolent offenders
- Sponsored bill extending sentences for nonviolent offenders and eliminating mandatory community supervision
- Did not support measure to raise criminal responsibility age from 17 to 18
- Proposed moving all youth in juvenile prisons to a shuttered adult jail
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Education
- Voted for a bill allowing for corporal punishment in schools
- Voted to increase charter school contract cap
- Voted to allow more state-backed construction bonds for charter schools
- Voted for major charter school expansion
- Voted to establish school marshals that public schools could hire and later voted to authorize school marshals to conceal carry in schools
- Voted for a Texas Education Code reform that required abstinence-plus sex education
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Other Legislation/Votes
- Voted against prohibiting texting and driving
- Voted to outlaw homeless encampments
- Cosponsored bill revamping tax incentives that benefited large companies
- Criticized by the Houston Chronicle for killing Safe Clear
- Refused to leave the state to break quorum over voter suppression bill
Abuse of Power
- Repeatedly investigated for conflicts of interest stemming from outside employment
- Spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds on sports tickets, BMW, extravagant gifts – Used campaign money to lease an $80,000 BMW and buy $290,000 in sports tickets
- Involved in lawsuit after he allegedly threatened to have waiter fired for not serving him alcohol
- Was accused of acting as the “errand boy” for “forces of corruption” in Houston by primary opponent
- Was fined $3,400 in civil penalties for violating campaign finance laws by the Texas Ethics Commission
- Pay to Play Scandals
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Questionable Connections
- Mayoral campaign is backed by mega wealthy GOP megadonors
- Friend with Schatte who was indicted on wire fraud charges
- Friends with developers indicted for wire fraud and accused of bribery
- Invested in Houston developer who was at center of corruption scandal
- Received an A 3 times from the NRA
Unscrupulous Financial Matters
- Took $9,600 from the NRA and its Texas affiliate between 2000 and 2012 – Funded and supported by the NRA while voting to ease firearm regulations
- Failed to report more than 250 donor’s occupation and employer
- Took money from company involved in the juvenile prison abuse scandal
- Payments to self & family from campaign funds
- Spent $9 million on investments in the 2018 election cycle – Invested over $31 million in campaign dollars on corporate stocks since 2015
- Since 2000, the Whitmire campaign has spent over $335,000 on expenses it has described as constituent gifts and constituent entertainment
- Used campaign money to lease an $80,000 BMW and buy $290,000 in sports tickets
- Received $2,000 from a Wackenhut Corrections Corp PAC involved in abuse scandal in juvenile prisons
- Received $50,000 from the gambling industry and proceeded to push for a referendum on it
- Took $10,000 from poultry magnate while debating changes to state workers’ compensation system
- Took $24,000 in legal fees from foundation whose funding he oversaw
- Criticized for taking extra paychecks from the Texas Department of Transportation
- Received the 10th most money from the NRA and TSRA of all TX politicians since 2000
Conflicts of Interest
- Hired as a lobbyist for the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System while voting on a bill to overhaul it
- Supported oil and gas industry that he was heavily invested in
- Since 2015, Whitmire’s campaign has spent $6.29 million on stocks for companies in the oil and gas industry.
- Voted for a bill prohibiting local governments from banning fracking
- Cosponsored a bill establishing economic incentives for oil and gas companies
- Voted to prohibit Texas cities from banning natural gas as a fuel source for new construction/utilities
- Repeatedly broke Senate rules in the hiring of staffer members
- Voted for massive tax breaks for luxury yacht buyers
- Funded and supported by the NRA while voting to ease firearm regulations
- District office was owned by Lawrence Kagan, Whitmire’s friend and campaign contributor
- Facilitated BSL Golf Corp. and Houston Pension Fund deal while being paid by BSL
- Brought BSL Golf in as a client for Locke Lord while they were looking for a renovation contract
- Gave a $1,000 donation to Jew Don Boney who was the main backer of a BSL Golf Corp contract
- BSL Golf owner Richard Bischoff donated $5,000 to his campaign as recently as November
- Firm lobbies for four public pension funds, including the one Whitmire lobbied for in 1993
- Joined Locke Lord months after authoring a bill allowing taxes to be levied for the firm’s client
- Served on the Pension Review Board after his term ended
- Criticized for conflicts of interest between his role as legislator and his private clients
- Passed bill helping Houston firefighters pension board, landed job lobbying for the board weeks later – Later, Voted to overhaul Houston firefighters pension fund against their wishes
- Was tipped off by an agency official about investigation into foundation he was controversially working for
- Investigated for hiring a campaign donor as a Senate committee consultant who didn’t live in Austin
- Stopped paying union leader from state-paid district funds amid investigation into his expenditures
- Investigated by Harris County DA for taking consulting contract with county’s probation department
- Was criticized for mixing official and private duties and ignoring Senate residency requirements
- Seemingly did not support an assault weapon restriction proposal – it would “derail his criminal justice package”
