Awarding Influence
No-Bid Contracts and Big Paydays for Gov. Greg Abbott's Donors
By By Adrian Shelley and Cassidy Levin
Executive Summary
Public Citizen compared donors to Texans for Greg Abbott Political Action Committee to companies awarded non-competitive, emergency contracts over the last decade. We identified eight companies that received non-competitive, emergency contracts from the state, most of which were tied to recent disasters such as COVID-19, hurricanes, or border security. In each instance, a company, its owners, or its executives donated large amounts to Gov. Abbott through his Texans for Greg Abbott PAC. After making the donations, the companies and their subsidiaries received one or more contracts, some for tens of millions of dollars. Donations were made by companies, their subsidiaries, their political action committees (PACs), their officers and executives, as well as the spouses of their officers and executives.
In one example, the number of a company’s non-competitive contract awards decreased, the company’s founder made several contributions to Texans for Greg Abbott PAC, and the flow of contract awards resumed. In another example, a contributor to the PAC received two contracts worth $1,676,100, which were labeled simply as “fees.”
The contributions were made from February 2014 to June 2025, and the contracts were awarded between April 2020 and October 2024. Public Citizen identified eighty-nine contracts, worth over $950 million in total and ninety-six contributions worth over $2.9 million.
We recommend the following improvements to state law:
- A ban on no-bid contract awards to companies whose PACs, officers, and immediate family members of officers have made political contributions above a given threshold within the last election cycle.
- Recipients of no-bid contracts, their PACs, their officers, and their immediate family members should not be allowed to make political contributions above a given threshold for a set period of time.
- More thorough and transparent reporting of the award of non-competitive contracts after a disaster declaration.
- Penalties for noncompliance including contract forfeiture and a ban on future contract eligibility for serious violators.
Background
Contract Procurement in Texas
Purchasing authority lies with the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the chief financial officer of the State of Texas.[1] The Comptroller is an elected statewide office with a term of four years. State law directs the Comptroller to employ a chief procurement officer with the authority to enter into contracts on behalf of the state and to delegate contracting authority to state agencies.[2]
Contract procurement in Texas requires a competitive bidding process for the purchase of goods or services by the state government.[3] This is meant to ensure that the process of awarding contracts is transparent and fair. It also allows government agencies to seek the highest quality goods or services for the best price, saving taxpayer money.[4]
Emergency purchases are exempt from the competitive bidding process, although state law allows the Comptroller to set a limit on the amount of an emergency purchase.[5]
Competitive bid opportunities are announced through posting to the electronic state business daily.[6] State law suspends the posting requirement, “in an emergency requiring the state agency to make the procurement more quickly to prevent a hazard to life, health, safety, welfare, or property or to avoid undue additional cost to the state.”[7]
Emergency non-competitive contracts are a type of sole-source procurement that is meant to occur only when a delay from the competitive contract process poses a threat to public health and safety.[8] For example, in the aftermath of a natural disaster, the competitive contract process would slow the delivery of necessary resources, possibly costing lives. For emergency non-competitive procurement to occur, the governor must issue an emergency declaration, allowing state agencies to begin procuring contracts relevant to the emergency through the non-competitive process.
For example, Governor Abbott issued an emergency declaration in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,[9] enabling state agencies to expedite the process of procuring relevant medical equipment, such as testing kits.
Agencies are required to provide notice to the Legislative Budget Board before any expenditure on a contract that is expected to exceed $10 million in cost.[10] For emergency procurement, the notice requirement begins with contracts exceeding $1 million.[11] The Legislative Budget Board maintains a publicly available database of all Texas state contracts at https://contracts.lbb.texas.gov/.
Ethical Requirements of Contract Procurement
State law requires state officials to behave ethically even in emergency situations. This includes not granting contracts to parties with whom the officer granting the contract may have a conflict of interest. Texas law states:
It is the policy of this state that a state officer or state employee may not have a direct or indirect interest, including financial and other interests, or engage in a business transaction or professional activity, or incur any obligation of any nature that is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of the officer’s or employee’s duties in the public interest.[12]
However, state agencies are given substantial flexibility to set their own specific ethics policies. Typically, agencies model their policies after the policy set by the Texas Attorney General’s office.[13] Still, they can also choose to create their own policies, while adhering to state law and Texas Ethics Commission rules.[14] Unfortunately, many of these standards apply only to the individual granting the contract or to the agency appointee, leaving a gap in specific regulation regarding the governor.[15]
This does not mean the granting of a contract by a state agency to a major donor of the governor is acceptable, especially without a competitive process. Federal law prohibits individuals (including corporations) who have active government contracts from making contributions to candidates for public office or their committees.[16] However, this restriction does not extend to employees of corporations that hold federal contracts.[17]
A 2016 report by Public Citizen identifies 15 states, politically blue and red, with regulations on campaign contributions from contractors.[18]
In Kentucky, neither an elected official nor their appointees may award a non-competitive contracts to an entity whose officers and employees, as well as their immediate family, have made political contributions to that elected official of more than $5,000 in the previous election cycle.[19] No person or an entity in which they have a substantial interest (defined as 10% ownership) may be given a contract if that person or their immediate family has contributed more than a given limit during the previous election cycle.[20] Unfortunately, these limits do not apply to PACs affiliated with the contracting company.[21]
In Ohio, an entity cannot receive a non-competitive contract worth more than $500 if an individual who owns more than 20% of a corporation or business trust, or their spouse, has contributed more than $1,000 within the previous two years to officials responsible for awarding the contract or appointing the individual who is responsible for awarding the contract.[22] Again and unfortunately, these limits do not apply to PACs affiliated with the contracting company.[23]
The state of Texas has faced criticism from advocates of campaign finance reform for its weak campaign finance laws[24] and failure to enforce the campaign finance laws it does have.[25] Texas places no limits on campaign contributions, meaning corporations and individuals are free to contribute as much as they are willing to spend, allowing for some of the massive contributions we see here.[26] We urge the Texas Legislature to impose pay-to-play laws restricting the awarding of contracts to corporate donors, as other states have, and to increase enforcement of campaign finance laws.
Contracts Awarded to Abbott Donors
Gothams LLC
Gothams LLC is an emergency management company whose mission, according to its website, is to “forge innovative and resilient solutions to the nation’s most challenging crises in our endeavor to strengthen our homeland security and make a progressive impact in the communities in which we live and work.”[27] It advertises responses to natural disasters, border security, and more.
Since 2020, Gothams has received forty-eight non-competitive emergency contracts from the Texas Division of Emergency Management worth $748,581,769. Between 2020 and 2021, Gothams received a total of thirty-seven contracts, totaling $639,179,591. In 2022, pandemic contracts began to slow, and Gothams only received one contract worth $43,154,072. The same year, the company’s founder, Matthew Michelsen, started contributing large sums of money to Texans for Greg Abbott. Between August and October 2022, Michelsen made five contributions of $50,000 each. Over the next two years, he contributed an additional $350,000, for a total of $600,000. Between 2023 and 2024, Gothams received another ten contracts, worth $66,248,106 in total.
These contracts were procured under various emergency declarations, including the COVID-19 declaration, the border security declaration, and the Hurricane Beryl declaration. Contracts procured under the COVID emergency declaration involved the purchase of testing kits and the establishment of regional, mobile infusion centers. The COVID contracts also included two rentals described only as “3 chair RIC, turnkey.”[28] Contracts procured under the border security emergency declaration also related to the purchase of test kits, and those procured under the Hurricane Beryl declaration involved establishing a base camp and the purchase/shipment of ice. The contracts that do not specify the emergency declaration under which they were procured involved the Jim Hogg migrant processing facility, as well as laundry, shower, and restroom trailers, and generators.
Doggett Equipment Services Group
William “Leslie” Doggett is the owner of Doggett Equipment Services Group, also referred to as Leslie Doggett Industries. According to its website, it owns and operates more than 50 locations in Texas and neighboring states, providing services across the heavy equipment industry.[29] The company’s website states that, “Doggett is comprised of sixteen John Deere construction and forestry equipment dealerships, seven Toyota material handling equipment dealerships, fourteen Freightliner truck and trailer dealerships, one Vernon Gene’s dealership, two Link‑Belt crane dealerships, and ten automotive dealerships.”[30]
William Doggett is also a longtime donor to Gov. Abbott. Since 2014, Doggett and his companies have contributed $1,744,500 to Texas for Greg Abbott. Doggett has contributed an additional $131,998.40 in-kind by allowing Texans for Greg Abbott to use a plane. In 2022 and 2023, Doggett Freightliners of South Texas, one of Doggett’s companies, received two non-competitive emergency contracts worth $1,676,100. One of those contracts was received just eight days after a June 29, 2023, contribution by Doggett of $500,000 to Texans for Greg Abbott. Both contracts state that their subject was fees, one states, “Fees for Inflation for TSB POs” and the other “Fees (not otherwise classified),” neither includes further information on the nature of the contract.
In late 2023, Abbott appointed Doggett to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.[31]
HNTB Holdings
HNTB Holdings is a Missouri-based infrastructure development company. HNTB received a non-competitive emergency contract in 2021 worth $2,601,009. According to the purchase order, the contract was procured to provide software updates.
Since 2015, HNTB Holdings, through its PAC, HNTB Holdings Ltd. Political Action Committee, and individuals who hold senior positions at the company, have contributed $193,750 to Texans for Greg Abbott.
Between May 30, 2024, and June 4, 2024, high-ranking staff with HNTB contributed $64,250. Nine of the ten individuals contributed exactly $7,000. In the donation records, each individual noted that HNTB was their employer.
Other Instances of Contracts Awarded to Abbott Donors
- Abbott Laboratories is a medical equipment manufacturer, unrelated to Gov. Abbott. Between 2014 and 2020, Abbott Laboratories contributed $15,000 to Texans for Greg Abbott through the Abbott Laboratories Employee PAC. Between 2020 and 2023, Abbott Laboratories and its subsidiaries[32] received ten non-competitive emergency contracts from the Texas government totaling $63,977,637.
- Deloitte LLP has been awarded four non-competitive emergency contracts worth $89,875,426. These contracts were awarded between 2020 and 2021 to Deloitte Consulting LLP and Deloitte & Touche LLP, both subsidiaries of Deloitte LLP.[33] Between 2014 and June 2025, Deloitte LLP and its senior officers (who noted their affiliation with Deloitte in their contributions) contributed $126,660 to Texans for Greg Abbott. In a single day, August 28, 2014, six individuals associated with Deloitte, as well as the Deloitte PAC, contributed $29,5000.
- Enterprise Mobility contributed $52,500 through its PAC to Texans for Greg Abbott between mid-2014 and 2020. Between 2020 and 2024, Enterprise received nine non-competitive emergency contracts worth $30,228,152, of which $54,558 represented fines incurred by the government due to damage to rental vehicles.
- McKesson Corporation was awarded in 2021 and 2022 two noncompetitive emergency contracts worth $8,179,449 through its subsidiaries, McKesson Medical Surgical Minnesota Supply Inc. and McKesson Medical Surgical Inc. McKesson Corporation Employees Political Fund donated $25,000 in late 2018 and $25,000 in 2022 to Texans for Greg Abbott.
- Motorola Solutions contributed $21,500 to Texans for Greg Abbott between 2014 and 2020. Between 2020 and 2024, Motorola Solutions received thirteen non-competitive emergency contracts worth $11,124,935 in total.
Award of Non-Competitive Contracts During Emergencies
The size and number of non-competitive emergency contracts awarded in Texas has changed dramatically in recent years.
Hurricane Harvey in 2017 saw a single-year spike in the total value of non-competitive contracts from $20 million to over $500 million. With the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020, the number of non-competitive contracts awarded increased from a few hundred to well over a thousand. In each of the first two years of the pandemic, the total value of non-competitive contracts awarded topped $2 billion.
A little over half (forty-eight) of the awarded contracts identified by Public Citizen as being issued to major donors to Texans for Greg Abbott PAC were procured under the COVID-19 emergency declaration issued on March 13, 2020.[34] Seventeen were procured under the May 31, 2021, border security emergency declaration.[35] Four contracts were issued after the July 5, 2024, emergency declaration made by acting Governor Dan Patrick following Hurricane Beryl.[36] One contract was procured under Abbott’s May 31, 2020, emergency declaration during the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd.[37]
Unfortunately, no information was provided on the emergency declaration under which several contracts were procured. This information can be accessed through the Legislative Budget Board Contracts Database,[38] which only includes information reported by the contract procurers. Agencies are not required to report the emergency declaration under which a contract was procured. If an agency chooses not to disclose the emergency, it is not available in the database. For nineteen of these contracts, which account for just over a fifth of the total, agencies chose not to report the emergency declaration under which a contract was procured.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Public Citizen identified eight companies that received $950,681,935 worth of state contracts through non-competitive awards between 2014 and 2024. During those same years, these companies, their PACs, their officers, and their employees donated $2,935,908 to Texans for Greg Abbott PAC.
Disaster response includes the rapid deployment of resources to areas of need. The speed involved may make normal contract bid and award procedures impossible. However, some of the disasters that have been used to justify no-bid contracts in Texas—such as the COVID-19 pandemic and border security—have lasted for years.
Ethics laws should be sufficient to eliminate conflict and the appearance of conflict in government decision-making. Many states have chosen to place restrictions on donations by companies and their principals to state leaders while holding government contracts.
We recommend that Texas lawmakers adopt stronger restrictions on pay-to-play practices in government contracting and implement reporting requirements for the governor’s office in the aftermath of an emergency. Key elements of a strong law include a broad definition of contractors subject to the restrictions, which includes senior executive personnel, disclosure requirements that allow for compliance monitoring, and penalties, including contract forfeiture and bans for serious violations.[39]
Methodology
Public Citizen downloaded the Texas State Contracts database maintained by the Legislative Budget Board at https://contracts.lbb.texas.gov/ on March 6, 2025. The database contained 197,327 entries beginning on September 1, 2015, and extending into early 2025. From that database, we extracted the 7,443 contracts for which the procurement method was listed as “Non-Comp, Emergency.” Using the dates provided for these contracts, we were able to identify most of the emergency declarations under which the contracts were procured.
We downloaded from the Texas Ethics Commission website[40] the list of donations to Texans for Greg Abbott PAC from 2014 to the present. We sorted this list by the size of donations and informed our search through the list using independent sources, including Transparency USA (individual donors) and Open Secrets (corporate donors). To connect individual donors to companies and link subsidiaries to parent companies, we utilized resources that include LinkedIn and the companies’ own websites.
Appendix
Table 1: Abbott Laboratories Contributions
| Name on Record | Amount | Date | TEC Report Number |
| Abbott Laboratories Employee PAC | $2,500 | 06/26/2014 | 622708 |
| Abbott Laboratories Employee PAC | $2,500 | 10/22/2015 | 100615450 |
| Abbott Laboratories Employee Political Action Committee | $2,500 | 11/02/2016 | 100660429 |
| Abbott Laboratories Employee Political Action Committee | $2,500 | 01/24/2018 | 100696211 |
| Abbott Laboratories Employee Political Action Committee | $2,500 | 01/17/2020 | 100787666 |
| Abbott Laboratories Employee Political Action Committee | $2,500 | 12/04/2020 | 100809044 |
Table 2: Abbott Laboratories Contracts
| Name of Vendor * | Amount | Date | Emergency | Subject | Agency |
| ABBOTT LABORATORIES | $5,127,446 | 4/24/2020 | COVID | Reagent, Control, Calibrator | Texas Department of Emergency Management |
| ABBOTT RAPID DX NORTH AMERICA LLC | $179,565 | 6/10/2020 | COVID | Test Kits | Texas Department of Emergency Management |
| ABBOTT RAPID DX NORTH AMERICA LLC | $197,325 | 9/9/2020 | COVID | COVID 19 Test Kits | Texas Department of Emergency Management |
| ABBOTT RAPID DX NORTH AMERICA LLC | $334,866 | 10/7/2020 | N/A | COVID Testing Equipment | Texas Department of Emergency Management |
| ABBOTT RAPID DX NORTH AMERICA LLC | $3,569,760 | 1/19/2021 | COVID | ID NOW COVID19 Test Cartridge | Texas Department of Emergency Management |
| ABBOTT RAPID DX NORTH AMERICA LLC | $5,025,250 | 1/21/2021 | COVID | BinaxNOW – Test Kits | Texas Department of Emergency Management |
| ABBOTT RAPID DX NORTH AMERICA LLC | $17,760,000 | 8/23/2021 | COVID | Abbott ID NOW – Test Kits | Texas Department of Emergency Management |
| ABBOTT RAPID DX NORTH AMERICA LLC | $7,537,875 | 8/30/2021 | COVID | Abbott BinaxNOW – Test Kits | Texas Department of Emergency Management |
| ABBOTT RAPID DX NORTH AMERICA LLC | $24,120,000 | 9/8/2021 | COVID | Abbott BinaxNOW – Test Kits | Texas Department of Emergency Management |
| ABBOTT LABORATORIES INC | $125,550 | 11/10/2023 | N/A | Radiopharmaceuticals | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston |
Table 3: Deloitte Contributions
| Name on Record | Amount | Date | TEC Report Number |
| Krishnakant, Dave (Deloitte Principle) | $500 | 5/12/2014 | 622708 |
| Blume, Jessica and Kenneth (Deloitte Principle) | $2,500 | 8/28/2014 | 628592 |
| Deloitte PAC | $10,000 | 8/28/2014 | 628592 |
| Farlow, Kathleen and Robert (Deloitte Managing Partner) | $5,000 | 8/28/2014 | 628592 |
| Schwerdtfeger, Kathryn (Deloitte Partner) | $1,000 | 8/28/2014 | 628592 |
| Scott, Susan and George (Deloitte Partner) | $9,000 | 8/28/2014 | 628592 |
| Sethi, Sangeeta and Sanjeev (Deloitte Partner) | $1,000 | 8/28/2014 | 628592 |
| Warner, Karen and Ray (Deloitte Partner) | $1,000 | 8/28/2014 | 628592 |
| Scott, George (Deloitte Partner) | $160 | 9/8/2014 | 628592 |
| Amjad, Adnan S. (Deloitte Partner) | $1,000 | 9/23/2014 | 628592 |
| Stills, Deborah and Richard (Deloitte Principles) | $500 | 10/9/2014 | 631303 |
| Deloitte Political Action Committee | $1,500 | 7/7/2016 | 100660429 |
| Deloitte Political Action Committee | $5,000 | 12/7/2016 | 100660429 |
| Ward, Lori (partner in Deloitte) | $500 | 9/21/2017 | 100695435 |
| Deloitte Political Action Committee | $5,000 | 12/14/2017 | 100695435 |
| Deloitte Political Action Committee | $10,000 | 9/11/2018 | 100722075 |
| Deloitte Political Action Committee | $15,000 | 10/17/2019 | 100769514 |
| Deloitte Political Action Committee | $5,000 | 9/25/2020 | 100809044 |
| Kleinhammer, Rodney (Deloitte Principal) | $5,500 | 12/20/2021 | 100846880 |
| Lobo, Aldila (Deloitte Principle) | $1,000 | 12/20/2021 | 100846880 |
| Wyatt, Michael (Deloitte Cyber Risk Leader) | $1,500 | 12/20/2021 | 100846880 |
| Cooper, Christopher (Deloitte CPA) | $25,000 | 3/19/2024 | 100962939 |
| Deloitte Political Action Committee | $10,000 | 12/12/2024 | 100987892 |
| Deloitte Political Action Committee | $10,000 | 6/30/2024 | 101011609 |
Table 4: Deloitte Contracts
| Name of Vendor | Amount | Date | Emergency | Subject | Agency |
| DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP | $400,000 | 6/17/2020 | N/A | Benefits Proportionality Audit | Texas Woman’s University |
| DELOITTE CONSULTING LLP | $71,439,989 | 3/23/2021 | N/A | COVID Vaccine Call Center | Department of Health and Human Services |
| DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP | $15,982,049 | 6/10/2021 | COVID | COVID 19 – General Program Services | Department of Housing and Community Affairs |
| DELOITTE CONSULTING LLP | $2,053,388 | 8/25/2021 | Border Security | SPART-N SMS Licenses | Department of Public Safety |
Table 5: Doggett Equipment Services Group Contributions
| Name on Record | Amount | Date | TEC Report Number |
| Doggett, Leslie (Doggett Equipment President) | $100,000 | 12/10/2014 | 643383 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $7,148.41
(In Kind) |
8/6/2015 | 100615450 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $100,000 | 10/7/2015 | 100615450 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $150,000 | 12/10/2016 | 100660429 |
| Doggett, Leslie (Doggett Equipment President) | $12,083.33
(In Kind) |
2/17/2020 | 100787666 |
| Doggett, Leslie (Doggett Equipment President) | $12,083.33
(In Kind) |
2/18/2020 | 100787666 |
| Doggett, Leslie (Doggett Equipment President) | $12,083.33
(In Kind) |
2/21/2020 | 100787666 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $12,500 | 8/11/2020 | 100809044 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $32,000 | 10/28/2020 | 100809044 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $27,000
(In Kind) |
5/5/2022 | 100866845 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $50,000 | 6/20/2022 | 100866845 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $9,000
(In Kind) |
7/16/2022 | 100875755 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $19,800
(In Kind) |
8/27/2022 | 100875755 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $19,800
(In Kind) |
10/19/2022 | 100880317 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $300,000 | 10/19/2022 | 100880317 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $500,000 | 6/29/2023 | 100911494 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment President) | $13,000
(In Kind) |
10/17/2023 | 100934880 |
| Doggett, William (Doggett Equipment) | $500,000 | 06/26/2025 | 101011609 |
Table 6: Doggett Equipment Services Group Contracts
| Name of Vendor | Amount | Date | Emergency | Subject | Agency |
| DOGGETT FREIGHTLINER OF SOUTH TEXAS LLC | $704,600 | 8/24/2022 | N/A | FEES (NOT OTHERWISE CLASSIFIED) | Department of Transportation |
| DOGGETT FREIGHTLINER OF SOUTH TEXAS LLC | $971,500 | 7/7/2023 | N/A | Fees for inflation for TSB POs | Department of Transportation |
Table 7: Enterprise Holdings Contributions
| Name on Record | Amount | Date | TEC Report Number |
| Enterprise Holdings Inc. PAC | $5,000 | 10/24/2014 | 631303 |
| Enterprise Holdings, Inc. Political Action Committee | $7,500 | 11/04/2016 | 100660429 |
| Enterprise Holdings, Inc. Political Action Committee | $3,000 | 04/27/2018 | 100717221 |
| Enterprise Holdings, Inc. Political Action Committee | $7,000 | 10/08/2018 | 100725045 |
| Enterprise Holdings, Inc. Political Action Committee | $10,000 | 12/04/2020 | 100809044 |
| Enterprise Holdings, Inc. Political Action Committee | $10,000 | 10/27/2022 | 100880317 |
| Enterprise Holdings, INC. / Enterprise Mobility Political Action Committee | $10,000 | 11/08/2024 | 100987892 |
Table 8: Enterprise Holdings Contracts
| Name of Vendor | Amount | Date | Emergency | Subject | Agency |
| ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS | $3,000,000 | 9/1/2020 | COVID | Vehicle Rentals | Texas Division of Emergency Management |
| ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR COMPANY | $637 | 12/1/2020 | N/A | Rental Car Damage | Texas Division of Emergency Management |
| ENTERPRISE HOLDING INC | $1,191,830 | 5/2/2022 | Border Security | SAD – Feb 2022 Enterprise OLS Invoices | Military Department |
| ENTERPRISE HOLDING INC | $1,524,815 | 6/9/2022 | N/A | SAD – ENTERPRISE MAY 2022 | Military Department |
| ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS, INC. | $1,931,466 | 7/22/2022 | Border Security | Enterprise Vehicle Rental. Operation Lone Star | Military Department |
| ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS INC | $53,921 | 8/19/2022 | Border Security | SAD Enterprise Damage Claims 3 | Military Department |
| ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS INC | $19,892,000 | 10/24/2023 | Border Security | SAD Enterprise Rentals FY24 | Military Department |
| ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS INC | $2,504,864 | 10/27/2023 | Border Security | SAD Enterprise Dmg Claims FY24 | Military Department |
| ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS INC | $128,619 | 2/13/2024 | Border Security | SAD Missing Vehicle Payments | Military Department |
Table 9: Gothams LLC Contributions
| Name on Record | Amount | Date | TEC Report Number |
| Michelsen, Matthew (Gothams Founder) | $50,000 | 08/17/2022 | 100875755 |
| Michelsen, Matthew (Gothams Founder) | $50,000 | 09/01/2022 | 100875755 |
| Michelsen, Matthew (Gothams Founder) | $50,000 | 09/19/2022 | 100875755 |
| Michelsen, Matthew (Gothams Founder) | $50,000 | 10/04/2022 | 100880317 |
| Michelsen, Matthew (Gothams Founder) | $50,000 | 10/25/2022 | 100880317 |
| Michelsen, Matthew (Gothams Founder) | $100,000 | 06/28/2023 | 100911494 |
| Michelsen, Matthew (Gothams Founder) | $250,000 | 12/06/2024 | 100987892 |
Table 10: Gothams LLC Contracts
| Name of Vendor | Amount | Date | Emergency | Subject | Agency |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $45,000,000 | 4/30/2020 | COVID | Test Kits/Collection Kits | Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $22,482,525 | 6/10/2020 | COVID | Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $48,752,925 | 6/29/2020 | COVID | Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $101,415,825 | 7/2/2020 | COVID | Test kits and processing | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $22,500,000 | 9/30/2020 | COVID | Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $22,500,000 | 10/22/2020 | COVID | Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $30,877,200 | 11/3/2020 | COVID | COVID-19 Collection Kits with Testing Services | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $22,500,000 | 11/7/2020 | COVID | Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $26,633,851 | 11/13/2020 | COVID | Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $1,054,271 | 11/19/2020 | COVID | COVID 19 Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $21,002,327 | 11/20/2020 | COVID | Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $12,522,075 | 11/20/2020 | COVID | COVID 19 Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $247,875 | 11/27/2020 | COVID | COVID 19 Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $17,003,850 | 12/3/2020 | COVID | Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $22,500,000 | 12/17/2020 | COVID | COVID-19 Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $30,344,400 | 12/24/2020 | COVID | COVID-19 Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $30,000,000 | 12/29/2020 | COVID | COVID-19 Collection Kits with Testing Service | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $1,121,300 | 8/6/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $22,500,000 | 8/16/2021 | COVID | Alinity Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $22,488,000 | 8/16/2021 | COVID | Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $14,400,000 | 8/17/2021 | COVID | Infusion Center | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $11,200,000 | 8/17/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center Site, Odessa | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $5,510,000 | 8/20/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center, Nacogdoches | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $4,789,999 | 8/20/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $4,305,000 | 8/25/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center, Tyler | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $1,224,000 | 8/26/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center Site, Rockwall | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $5,592,000 | 8/27/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $5,025,000 | 8/27/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center Site, Andrews | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $16,251,529 | 8/30/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $10,051,613 | 8/30/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center Site, Collin College | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $2,589,000 | 9/8/2021 | COVID | Mobile Infusion Center | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $6,000,000 | 9/14/2021 | COVID | BinaxNOW – Test Kits | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $5,839,010 | 9/15/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $5,121,000 | 9/16/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $1,600,016 | 9/16/2021 | COVID | Regional Infusion Center Site, Waco | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $14,945,000 | 12/29/2021 | COVID | Rapid Antigen Test (INDICAID & Flowflex) | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $1,290,000 | 12/30/2021 | COVID | 3 Chair RIC, Turnkey (Burnet) | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $43,154,072 | 1/12/2022 | Border Security | Jim Hogg County – Intake and Processing Center | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $104,900 | 6/19/2023 | N/A | Shower Trailers | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $55,860 | 6/19/2023 | N/A | Generators | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $4,219,496 | 7/9/2024 | Hurricane Beryl | Base Camp | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $3,582,000 | 7/9/2024 | Hurricane Beryl | AB0933352 Base Camp | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $1,911,200 | 7/11/2024 | Hurricane Beryl | AB0934525 Ice Truckloads | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $64,275 | 7/16/2024 | N/A | Laundry Trailer | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $59,000 | 8/1/2024 | N/A | Shower and Restroom Trailer Rental | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $26,635,644 | 8/30/2024 | N/A | Jim Hogg Staffing Operations | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $26,635,645 | 9/30/2024 | N/A | Gothams LLC | TDEM |
| GOTHAMS LLC | $2,980,086 | 10/16/2024 | Hurricane Beryl | Ice Truckloads | TDEM |
Table 11: HNTB Corporation Contributions
| Name on Record | Amount | Date | TEC Report Number |
| HNTB Holdings Ltd. PAC | $1,000 | 11/5/2015 | 100615450 |
| HNTB Holdings Ltd. PAC | $2,000 | 6/10/2016 | 100636925 |
| HNTB Holdings Ltd. Political Action Committee | $1,000 | 10/26/2016 | 100660429 |
| HNTB Holdings Ltd. Political Action Committee | $5,000 | 11/2/2016 | 100660429 |
| HNTB Holdings LTD. PAC | $25,000 | 12/11/2017 | 100695435 |
| Aadnesen, Christopher (HNTB Vice President) | $500 | 7/31/2018 | 100722075 |
| HNTB Holdings Ltd. Political Action Committee | $10,000 | 6/28/2019 | 100753200 |
| HNTB Holdings Ltd. Political Action Committee | $10,000 | 12/4/2020 | 100809044 |
| HNTB Holdings Ltd. Political Action Committee | $5,000 | 7/12/2021 | 100846880 |
| HNTB Holdings Ltd. Political Action Committee | $5,000 | 9/22/2021 | 100846880 |
| HNTB Holdings Ltd. Political Action Committee | $15,000 | 12/10/2021 | 100846880 |
| HNTB Holdings Ltd. Political Action Committee | $25,000 | 8/30/2022 | 100875755 |
| HNTB Holdings Ltd. Political Action Committee | $25,000 | 4/29/2024 | 100962939 |
| Hammond, Harvey (HNTB Director) | $7,000 | 5/30/2024 | 100962939 |
| Inabinet, Michael (HNTB Executive) | $7,000 | 5/30/2024 | 100962939 |
| Mann, Doug (HNTB Corporate President) | $7,000 | 5/30/2024 | 100962939 |
| O’Grady, Thomas (HNTB Engineer) | $7,000 | 5/30/2024 | 100962939 |
| Yarossi, Paul (HNTB Engineer) | $7,000 | 5/31/2024 | 100962939 |
| Sweeney, Michael (HNTB Engineer) | $7,000 | 5/31/2024 | 100962939 |
| Dippel, Michelle (HNTB President) | $7,000 | 6/3/2024 | 100962939 |
| Poppe, Russell (HNTB Engineer) | $1,250 | 6/3/2024 | 100962939 |
| Slimp, Robert (HNTB Civil Engineer) | $7,000 | 6/3/2024 | 100962939 |
| Ray, James (HNTB Consultant) | $7,000 | 6/4/2024 | 100962939 |
Table 12: HNTB Corporation Contracts
| Name of Vendor | Amount | Date | Emergency | Subject | Agency |
| HNTB CORPORATION | $2,601,009 | 9/20/2021 | N/A | UPGRADING SERVICES, SOFTWARE | Department of Transportation |
Table 13: McKesson Corporation Contributions
| Name on Record | Amount | Date | TEC Report Number |
| McKesson Corporation Employees Political Fund | $25,000 | 12/07/2018 | 100730315 |
| McKesson Corporation Employees Political Fund | $25,000 | 10/11/2022 | 100880317 |
Table 14: McKesson Corporation Contracts
| Name of Vendor | Amount | Date | Emergency | Subject | Agency |
| MCKESSON MEDICAL SURGICAL MINNESOTA SUPPLY INC | $8,000,000 | 12/29/2021 | COVID | Quickvue At-Home Otc | Texas Division of Emergency Management |
| MCKESSON MEDICAL SURGICAL INC | $179,449 | 4/18/2022 | Border Security | Emergency Medical Items, Laredo. TX-OLS | Military Department |
Table 15: Motorola Solutions Contributions
| Name on Record | Amount | Date | TEC Report Number |
| Motorola Solutions Inc. PAC | $1,000 | 7/22/2014 | 628592 |
| Motorola Solutions Inc. PAC | $5,000 | 9/11/2014 | 628592 |
| Motorola Solutions, Inc. PAC | $1,000 | 12/1/2015 | 100615450 |
| Motorola Solutions, Inc. Political Action Committee | $1,000 | 12/2/2016 | 100660429 |
| Motorola Solutions, Inc. Political Action Committee | $2,500 | 1/17/2018 | 100696211 |
| Motorola Solutions, Inc. Political Action Committee | $2,500 | 5/8/2018 | 100717221 |
| Motorola Solutions, Inc. Political Action Committee | $5,000 | 11/26/2019 | 100769514 |
| Motorola Solutions, Inc. Political Action Committee | $2,500 | 12/10/2020 | 100809044 |
| Motorola Solutions, Inc. Political Action Committee | $1,000 | 12/10/2020 | 100809044 |
Table 16: Motorola Solutions Contracts
| Name of Vendor | Amount | Date | Emergency | Subject | Agency |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC (formally ENFORCEMENT VIDEO LLC) | $74,651 | 6/10/2020 | BLM Protests | Body Cameras and Accessories | Department of Public Safety |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC | $113,783 | 8/12/2021 | Border Security | Border Console Upgrade | Department of Public Safety |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC | $260,910 | 8/26/2021 | Border Security | Border Platform 8500 Radios | Department of Public Safety |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC | $61,069 | 8/27/2021 | N/A | Motorola Radio Equipment and Supplies | Texas Division of Emergency Management |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC | $1,469,999 | 8/31/2021 | Border Security | Motorola Radios | Military Department |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC | $4,759,270 | 11/19/2021 | Border Security | Motorola Radios | Military Department |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC | $441,066 | 1/12/2022 | Border Security | Radio Control Heads for THP | Department of Public Safety |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS | $140,000 | 5/10/2023 | Border Security | M500 Rear Cameras | Department of Public Safety |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC | $504,081 | 5/31/2023 | Border Security | DD APX 8500 Radios | Department of Public Safety |
| Motorola Solutions | $602,269 | 6/9/2023 | Border Security | Equipment | Department of Public Safety |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS | $76,107 | 10/27/2023 | N/A | Y Cables | Department of Public Safety |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC. | $640,000 | 6/3/2024 | N/A | MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR SERVICES | Department of Transportation |
| MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC. | $1,981,581 | 7/12/2024 | N/A | TWO-WAY RADIO RECEIVERS | Department of Transportation |
* Vendor names are rendered in these tables exactly as they appear in the Comptroller’s contracts database. Public Citizen confirmed that each table refers to a single vendor despite name variations in the database.
[1] Texas Government Code Sec. 2155.061.
[2] Texas Government Code Sec. 2155.091.
[3] Texas Government Code Sec. 2155.063.
[4] “State of Texas Procurement and Contract Management Guide” Comptroller’s Office, Appendix 1 – Page 2, available at https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/publications/procurement-contract.php.
[5] Texas Government Code Sec. 2155.137.
[6] Texas Government Code Sec. 2155.083.
[7] Texas Government Code Sec. 2155.083(i). See also 34 Tex. Admin. Code Sec. 20.25(b)(21).
[8] “State of Texas Procurement and Contract Management Guide” Comptroller’s Office, Page 39, available at https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/publications/procurement-contract.php.
[9] Governor Greg Abbott, “A proclamation certifying that COVID-1 9 poses an imminent threat of disaster in the state and declaring a state of disaster for all counties in Texas” (13 Mar. 2020) available at https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/DISASTER_covid19_disaster_proclamation_IMAGE_03-13-2020.pdf.
[10] General Appropriations Act, House Bill 1, 88th R.S. at Article IX, Section 7.11(b)(1), available at https://www.lbb.texas.gov/.
[11] Id. at Section 7.11(b)(2)(A).
[12] Texas Government Code Sec. 572.001(a).
[13] “Model Ethics Policy for Texas State Agencies” Office of the Attorney General available at https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/files/divisions/general-oag/ModelEthicsPolicy.pdf.
[14] “Commission Rules,” Texas Ethics Commission, https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/rules/.
[15] “A Guide to Ethics Laws for State Officers and Employees” Texas Ethics Commission (1 Jan. 2022) at p. 4, available at https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/data/resources/guides/Gofficers-employEthics.pdf.
[18] Holman, Craig and Kyung rok Wi, “Pay-to-Play Restrictions on Campaign Contributions from Government Contractors, 2016,” available at https://www.citizen.org/wp-content/uploads/pay-to-play_state_summary_report.pdf (cited below as “Holman 2016”).
[19] Kentucky Revised Statutes Sec. 121.330.
[20] Kentucky Revised Statutes Secs. 121.056 and 121.150.
[21] Holman, 2016 citing K.R.S. Secs. 121.055, 121.056, and 121.330.
[22] Ohio Revised Code Sec. 3517.13(J).
[23] Holman, 2016 citing O.R.C. Secs. 3517.13 and 3517.992.
[24] “Common Cause Texas Statement on Need for Campaign Finance Reform” (9 Aug. 2022) available at https://www.commoncause.org/texas/press/common-cause-texas-statement-on-need-for-campaign-finance-reform/.
[25] Despart, Zach “In Texas, violating campaign ethics laws rarely yields repercussions. The attorney general’s office is to blame.” Texas Tribune (23 July 2024) available at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/23/texas-ethics-campaign-finance-attorney-general/.
[26] “Frequently Asked Questions about the 2024 Elections” Texas Ethics Commission, available at https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/resources/FAQs/2024election_faqs.php.
[27] https://www.gothams.com/about.
[28] See appendix, Table 10: Gothams Contracts.
[29] https://www.doggett.com/.
[30] https://www.doggett.com/.
[31] “Governor Abbott Names Hildebrand Chair, Appoints Doggett To Parks And Wildlife Commission” (24 Aug. 2023) available at https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-names-hildebrand-chair-appoints-doggett-to-parks-and-wildlife-commission.
[32] https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1800/000110465921025751/abt-20201231xex21.htm
[33] https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/about.html.
[34] Governor Greg Abbott, “A proclamation certifying that COVID-1 9 poses an imminent threat of disaster in the state and declaring a state of disaster for all counties in Texas” (13 Mar. 2020) available at https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/DISASTER_covid19_disaster_proclamation_IMAGE_03-13-2020.pdf.
[35] Governor Greg Abbott, “A proclamation certifying that the ongoing surge of individuals unlawfully crossing the Texas-Mexico border poses an ongoing and imminent threat…” (31 May 2021) available at https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/DISASTER_border_security_IMAGE_05-31-2021.pdf.
[36] Governor Greg Abbott, “A proclamation amending a previous proclamation that declared a state of disaster…” (5 July 2024) available at https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/DISASTER_Hurricane_Beryl.pdf.
[37] Governor Greg Abbott, “A proclamation certifying that threats and incidents of violence constitute and pose an imminent threat of disaster.” (31 May 2020) available at https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/DISASTER_threats_and_incidents_of_violence_IMAGE_05-31-2020.pdf.
[38] “Texas State Contracts” Legislative Budget Board, available at https://contracts.lbb.texas.gov/.
[39] See Holman, 2016 at p. 1.
[40] https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/search/cf/SimpleSearch.php.