A key state contractor has been fined $500,000 by the Securities and Exchange Commission for alleged political contributions to candidates in the governor and attorney generals’ races in 2013 and 2014.
Employees of Houston-based EnCap violated rules that govern donations from financial firms to candidates who, if elected, would play a role in their selection to invest public money.
According to a cease-and-desist order from the SEC, the contributions include $25,000 to a gubernatorial candidate in September 2013 and a total of $60,000 to an attorney general candidate. The offending contributions were made between September 2013 and May 2014, according to the SEC.
EnCap was also named for violating rules in Indiana and Wisconsin.
The size of the contributions triggered a two year “time-out” for work after making the donation. The SEC said EnCap continued to service the accounts and receive advisor fees.
The order does not name which candidates received the money. A September 6, 2013 contribution to Gov. Greg Abbott for $25,000 came from David Miller, CEO of EnCap. Abbott’s opponent, Wendy Davis, shows no EnCap contributions from that period. It was not immediately clear if it was Ken Paxton, one of his opponents, or a combination, who received the other $60,000 in campaign contributions, according to The Texas Monitor’s review of campaign finance records.
The SEC order contends that several state retirement systems, including the University of Texas, the Teachers Retirement System, and the Texas County and District Retirement System, collectively invested $2.27 billion in funds advised by EnCap.
“EnCap is pleased to have reached resolution with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which puts their inquiry into certain personal campaign contributions behind us,” the company said in a statement. “This resolution will in no way impact our funds, investments or Limited Partners…”
EnCap spokeswoman Julie Oakes declined to answer questions.
The attorney general and the governor have the power to appoint board members to the agencies who are in charge of hiring investment advisors. Those advisors, in turn, engage with private equity firms such as EnCap.
The connection between the state’s power structure and EnCap goes back to Gov. Rick Perry’s administration, although the firm has steered clear of breaching federal rules until now.
Miller in 2010 gave $25,000 to Perry, and EnCap founder Gary Petersen gave Perry $605,000 between 2003 and 2010, first reported by Mother Jones in 2011.
The SEC passed a new rule in 2010, clamping down on what it called “pay to play” in the relationships between public officials and investment professionals.
SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro said then that “the selection of investment advisers to manage public plans should be based on the best interests of the plans and their beneficiaries, not kickbacks and favors.”
She added that “pay to play can also favor large advisers over smaller competitors, reward political connections rather than management skill, and — as a number of recent enforcement cases have shown — pave the way to outright fraud and corruption.”
“This is unfortunately real common,” said Chris Tobe, a former Kentucky Retirement Systems trustee and author of the book Public Pensions, Secret Investments. “Most of these donations, though, are underground because of Citizens United. This is the tip of the iceberg.”
He said the detection of the contributions was probably “something they accidentally let into the light.”
Gov. Abbott’s office did not respond to an email seeking comment.
The SEC pay-to-play investigation in Texas was part of a sweep of political contributions in six states including California, Rhode Island and Illinois. Private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management was fined $100,000 for similar violations.
Steve Miller can be reached at [email protected].
You cannot justify this by accusing Dems. Just criminal acts, Joe
Funny thing is, when this story orginally broke it was Wendy Davis who was commenting on who was getting donations from whom. Then days later her own contributions list was “lost” when her financial records were hacked… A huge portion of her funds disappeared and now she’s faded away… And boom everyone else was hit with investigations… Lol
#TexasCorruption live and well
When will people finally realize that both sides are beyond guilty of this?
Repugnacans in TX politics, and D.C.
We, as a country, are in a world of hurt.
VOTE BLUE IN 2018
STRAIGHT BLUE TICKET
Oh Hell No. If the Democrats would run some conservative candidates like they had in the 50’s and early 60’s, then maybe you would have a chance to get someone elected in Texas. Since McGovern in 1968, the Democrats have been too liberal
Brian Cummins true. I haven’t voted for a single dem since Ann Richards. She is one of my favorite politicians. But sadly, the Dems have been infiltrated with communists.
Mich Hoefler Russians r coming, Russians r coming, infiltrating all levels of da repugnacans.
Communist, r RUSSIA 🇷🇺
Mich Hoefler So true. Typical election bote for the lesser CROOKS. SAY NO TO COMMUNISM.
A vote for a democRAT is a vote for socialism, gateway to communism. See Venezuela for more info.
Sherry Cross Welch Communism is RUSSIA, with da deuce bag as UR president, RUSSIA/Communism is taking over. Deuce bag kissing up to Putin is the most sickening thing I’ve ever seen a president of this Country do, on the World 🌎 to see. 🤢🤮
Eddie Gilbert you just don’t get it. Socialism and the idea that the government has all the answers is just WRONG. I encourage you to look up and read the 3rd and 4th paragraphs of the FFA creed. I had to learn to recite it from memory back in 1969.
So what happens to these “fines”?
Still want to see the facts
Al M. Brien what does that prove? No One cheated more than Hillary and she still lost.
Who got elected…..Abbott, Patrick, Bettencourt, Paxton, etc.
Terry Pettijohn In 2013 and 2014?
Who gets fine money and who spends it???
Terry Pettijohn where did you get that info
It appears to be Abbott and Paxton.
More GOP gerrymandering tactics in Texas sad state.
Don’t remember when Democrats ran the state? It’s call redistricting.
Gary Studdard Gerrymandering in Texas GOP control deeply disturbing.
Gary Studdard, apparently it’s okay when democRATS do it, completely undisturbing.
More Texas corruption…
Lock them up!
A penny in the bucket for them!
I want to know who took the money and what did they file as bills and vote for?
It appears to be Abbott and Paxton.

$25000 to Abbot’s campaign, received by his campaign manager at the time. Not Abbot himself. No direct link to Paxton as stated in the article. It only says Abbot’s apponents at that time. But this is all old news, this was brought up back in 2015 and fizzeled out. So what has changed? Nothing…

Funny thing is, when this story orginally broke it was Wendy Davis who was commenting on who was getting donations from whom. Then days later her own contributions list was “lost” when her financial records were hacked… A huge portion of her funds disappeared and now she’s faded away… And boom everyone else was hit with investigations… Lol

Not enough! Prison time for the CEO & CFO.
Fines. Wheres the prosecution?
There’s no trial unless they want to contest the fine. In that case they’ll be given their day in court. The thing is, most of these guys have so many doors they don’t want opened that they’ll gladly pay the fine to shut the investigation down.
Chump change for them, should have been millions