March 9, 2025
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
Nearly a year and half after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called for an audit of impeachment-related spending by the Texas House and Senate, Speaker Dustin Burrows has finally handed over the long-withheld House records—which former Speaker Dade Phelan refused to release.
In a post on X, Patrick announced that Burrows had provided him with two boxes of detailed expenditure records related to the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“It has been 1 year, 5 months, and 16 days since I called for an audit of all impeachment spending by the Texas House and Senate,” Patrick wrote. “I promptly turned over the Senate’s records to the State Auditor right after the trial. Former Speaker Dade Phelan failed to comply with the audit and refused to release the House’s expenses to the State Auditor despite multiple calls for him to do so on behalf of taxpayers.”
Patrick noted that even after Phelan officially left office two months ago, the records remained concealed.
“I asked the new Speaker [Dustin Burrows] to release the documents. Yesterday, he handed me 2 boxes of detailed expenditures, which I turned over to the State Auditor today,” Patrick stated.
A video of Patrick handing the documents over to State Auditor Lisa Collier accompanied his post.
The spending figures reveal a stark contrast between the Senate and the House in their handling of taxpayer dollars during the impeachment proceedings. According to Patrick, the Senate spent approximately $435,000, including $135,000 to print the entire impeachment trial record in the Senate journal, a requirement under the rules.
Meanwhile, the Texas House—under Phelan’s leadership—spent more than $4.4 million on the failed impeachment, according to Patrick, with a significant portion going to outside attorneys. The audit could reveal even more spending.
“As I suspected, former Speaker Phelan was hiding the millions of dollars he wasted on outside attorneys to avoid this issue from being brought up in his bid for re-election. I want to thank [Speaker Burrows] for releasing the Texas House’s impeachment costs and for his commitment to transparency, unlike the former speaker,” wrote Patrick.
With the records now in the hands of State Auditor Lisa Collier, the full details of how the Texas House under Phelan managed impeachment spending will soon come to light.
“What a total waste of taxpayer money!” Patrick concluded.
The release of these records adds yet another layer to the ongoing scrutiny of Phelan’s tenure as speaker, particularly regarding the rushed and ultimately unsuccessful effort to remove Paxton from office.
Featured
The Texas A&M System Board of Regents has named Comptroller Glenn Hegar as the sole finalist for system chancellor to replace retiring Chancellor John Sharp.
Sharp had previously announced he would step down as chancellor on June 30 after almost 14 years in the position.
There is a required 21-day waiting period after the regents name Hegar as the sole finalist before they can confirm his appointment.
Real Texans
In this week’s edition of REAL TEXANS, State Rep. Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands) discusses the importance of community oversight of public education. He says real school reforms will only happen when parents and taxpayers fully engage.
New interviews with REAL TEXANS every Sunday!
State
Abbott on Texas Lottery: Investigation Will Determine Next Steps
The Lottery Commission is currently under investigation by the Texas Rangers and the Attorney General.
Responding to Parents’ Concerns, Senators Tackle ‘Obscenity Exemptions’
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee approved eliminating “loopholes” that let Texas schools expose students to harmful material.
Taxpayer-funded Lobbying Org Pays Massive Salaries
Many employees of the Texas Association of School Boards are earning more than the governor of Texas.
Local
ICE Arrests 9 Criminal Aliens, Detains 20 Workers in Houston-Area Sweep
ICE has mainly been targeting sex offenders and violent criminals in its enforcement operations.
Eanes ISD Teacher Arrested for Possession of Child Porn
Zachary Barnett was arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety on three counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
Montgomery County GOP Censures State Reps. Cecil Bell and Will Metcalf
The Montgomery County GOP chair said she hopes the censure serves as a “yellow flag” to correct the representatives’ behavior.
Federal
Trump on the $100 Bill? Freshman Congressman Aims To Make It Happen
U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill wants to recognize Trump’s impact by placing his likeness on the nation’s most circulated banknote.
Catholic Charities of Fort Worth Sues Over Federal Funding Pause on Illegal Alien Services
Tarrant County GOP Chairman Bo French asserted that while accountability is on the horizon, the enemies of the United States will not back down without a fight.
Trump Renames Texas Wildlife Refuge in Honor of Murdered 12-Year-Old Jocelyn Nungaray
Under the directive, the Department of the Interior has 30 days to update all federal references to reflect the new name.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join the conversation with Texas Scorecard on any or all of our social media accounts!
The Texas Scorecard Journalism Fellowship is a comprehensive program designed for conservative Texans under the age of 25 with an interest in public policy, effective civic engagement, political accountability, and Texas history.
