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Making an Impact
“The Lone Star Project … hammers Republicans whenever it gets a chance, promoting strong local Democratic candidates and even bringing lawsuits.”
(Roll Call, Stuart Rothenberg,
March 12, 2009)
“Anyone who questions whether [The Lone Star Project] can make life difficult for a Republican legislator should talk to former Sen. Kim Brimer.”
(Austin American Statesman, February 17, 2009)
“[The Lone Star Project] is responsible for the aggressive stance the party has taken toward DeLay and other Lone Star State Republicans since the 2004 election.”
(The Washington Post, March 6, 2006)
"David Dewhurst has said most Texans don't have much sympathy "for someone who that can't fill out a two page [health insurance] application every six months".
The Democrat-supported Lone Star Project in Washington reported this week that Dewhurst failed to file necessary forms at least six times in recent years.
(San Antonio Expres News,, 4/12/2007)
"The Justice staff memo was obtained by the Lone Star Project ...The story broke the same day the U.S. Supreme Court was considering legal challenges to the plan brought by Democrats and minority groups."
(Houston Chronicle, 12/3/2005)
"The Texas chapter of the NAACP, along with the Lone Star Project, have analyzed the amicus brief filed by the Justice Department and have concluded, justifiably, that the Voting Rights section of the Justice Department is now controlled by partisan political appointees."
(Roll Call - Donna Brazile, 2/28/2006)
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KHOU Report: Harris County Voter Registrar a GOP Consultant
Lone Star Project Documents Reveal Johnson Paid by Republican Candidates
With documents obtained from the Lone Star Project, KHOU (Houston) aired a story last night revealing that Ed Johnson , the assistant director of voter registration for Harris County, is a paid Republican campaign consultant. His company, Campaign Data Systems (CDS), has numerous Harris County Republican candidate as clients, including the Conservative Republicans of Harris County PAC, Senator Dan Patrick, and Congressman Michael McCaul. Republican State Representative Dwayne Bohac (HD 138) is also a principal owner of CDS. Johnson and Bohac are both listed on the Articles of Organization and on the CDS website as a person to contact. It is unacceptable that a county employee with unimpeded access to Voter Registration records, who can grant or deny the ability to vote to an individual, also works as a partisan political consultant.
Johnson Reviews Ballots for Harris County Races
Ed Johnson is a high-level employee in the Harris County voter registration department. In sworn testimony he has been described as, “pretty much the one that does everything.” (Deposition of Elizabeth Hernandez. Clerk/Processor)
It was also revealed that Johnson reviews provisional ballots in Harris County. Michelle Dixon, a 12 year veteran of the voter registration department said under oath that Johnson “opens the sealed envelopes of provisional ballot affidavits.” 17 year employee Kim Shoemaker said that “Ed Johnson will stand over us” during provisional ballot review. (Depositions of Michelle Dixon and Kim Shoemaker). The Houston Chronicle reported that white out was used on many provisional ballots before delivery to the Ballot Board. (Houston Chronicle, 11/12/08) Dixon also said that Johnson was in charge of purging voters from the system. (Depositions of Michelle Dixon)
Johnson Makes Big Money off Republican Candidates
Ed Johnson and Dwayne Bohac’s company has collected more than $145,000 from Republican State Candidates alone . The Federal Candidate disclosures are harder to search, but CDS received more than $11,000 from Michael McCaul (CD-10) and John Culberson (CD-7). Harris County Candidates use Campaign Data Systems too. Republican Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos paid CDS more than $7,000 last cycle . Many of the people who paid CDS have competed in hotly contested races including Ken Legler (HD-144 in 2008), Martha Wong (HD-134 in 2006), and Talmadge Heflin (HD 149 in 2004) who lost his race by just 33 votes.
Payments to Campaign Data Systems
Campaign |
Amount Paid |
Jim Murphy |
$13,074 |
Texans for Joe Nixon |
$12,475 |
Randy K. Weber |
$9,694 |
Texans for John Davis |
$9,404 |
Friends of John Zerwas |
$8,810 |
Ken J. Legler |
$8,381 |
Robert E. Talton |
$7,836 |
Ralph E. Sheffield |
$7,319 |
Dan Patrick |
$7,141 |
Conservative Republicans
of Harris County PAC |
$5,451 |
Texans For Lawsuit Reform PAC |
$5,281 |
Friends Of Kyle Janek |
$2,802 |
Others Republicans |
$47,843 |
Total Texas State Candidates |
$145,512 |
Why didn’t Dwayne Bohac disclose Johnson Connection?
Ed Johnson has testified at least twice in the Texas Legislature about Voter ID. A search of the records show that Johnson has never publicly disclosed his relationship with Republican candidates or his role as a Republican consultant. More troubling is that Dwayne Bohac sits on the House Elections Committee that listed Johnson on its official list of Republican invited witnesses, but did not reveal that he and Johnson are business associates engaged in partisan political activity. (Election Committee Hearing; April 6, 2009)
Ed Johnson Misleads at Voter ID Hearing
Ed Johnson’s problems testifying at voter ID hearings don’t end there. He has misled State Legislators with his testimony to the point that two representatives have called for his removal.
- Lying to Representatives
Ed Johnson testified at the State Senate voter ID hearing and was listed on the official witness list for the House hearing this spring. His testimony attempted to greatly discount his role in the voting registration and ballot review process. Johnson’s testimony was so dishonest that State Representatives Garnet Coleman (HD 147) and Ana Hernandez (HD 143) called on Republican Tax Assessor Collector Leo Vasquez to dismiss Johnson on April 13, 2009. (Source: Houston Chronicle, April 13, 2009 )
- Lying by Omission
Ed Johnson also failed to disclose to Members that he is a paid consultant working exclusively for Republican Campaigns.
- (Too) Eager to Testify
Ed Johnson was so eager to testify in 2007 that he took a personal vacation day to testify and again made bold claims with little evidence and again failed to disclose his work as a Republican Consultant.
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Johnson’s actions already subject of court inquiry
Johnson has been embroiled in controversy for several months involving improper political activity by his office that is overseen by Harris County Republican Tax Assessor Collector, Leo Vasquez. Harris County is currently being sued for failing to properly process registration applications for thousands of Harris County voters during last November’s election forcing many voters to cast provisional ballots that ultimately were not counted.
Leo Vasquez
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Will Leo Vasquez fire Johnson?
Recently appointed Republican Tax Assessor Collector Leo Vasquez is already under fire for conducting a partisan elections office. Earlier this year State Representatives Ana Hernandez and Garnet Coleman detailed partisan actions by his office and called on him to dismiss Ed Johnson.Vasquez has failed to do so. With revelations of Johnson’s work as a paid Republican consultant, Vasquez should be under even greater pressure to fire Johnson and clean up an overtly partisan Republican elections office.
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