Murphy Turner, Ken Sapp Tied to Illegal PAC Activity

When we exposed Murphy Turner Associates’ link to a shadow PAC two months ago we figured they would correct course. They haven’t and are now tied to a PAC operating illegally according to the TEC to influence a primary.

Texans for Limited Government, a PAC registered by Holly Turner is sending out mail attacking Stephanie Klick in House District 91. Murphy Turner represents Klick’s rival Ken Sapp. As we wrote in May, Holly is Chris Truner’s wife and a registered agent of Turner Advisory Group.

The problem for Holly Turner, Ken Sapp and Murphy Turner Associates is the PAC should not be spending money. Texans for Limited Government has filed one report with the Texas Ethics Commission reporting it hadn’t received any donations. The group needed to have 10 donors on that report in order to spend during this primary. Since they failed to clear that threshold according to current filings then their mailer is likely illegal.

Murphy Turner has run similar schemes in the past. Recently they engaged in several House races with misleading PACs. According to Empower Texans this lead to legal action against Holly Turner and Murphy Turner Associates. In our May reporting we warned that Texans for Limited Government had been set up to carry out similar attacks.

Texans for Limited Government is the latest clown move from a firm that has bilked clients to the tune of hundreds of thousands this primary season. One Austin insider commenting on the campaign Murphy Turner ran for candidate J.M. Lozano said “Murphy Turner should have been fired months ago.”

The mail being sent out by Texans for Limited Government invokes the names of two other Murphy Turner clients, Kelly Hancock and Joe Straus. The misguided activities of Murphy Turner can’t have gone unnoticed by Hancock, his vacated seat is the subject of this mail.

The apparent illegal PAC activities Murphy Turner engages in do irreparable damage to the electoral process. Texans need to be aware of the actions of general consultants like Murphy Turner and the politicians/candidates who hire them.