When Texans choose their representatives, they have the expectation that those representatives will be working for them, not for special interests. Unfortunately, some elected officials can’t refuse special interest money, and then vote in favor of those special interests, including House District 67 State Representative Jeff Leach (R-Plano).
According to the National Institute on Money in Politics, a non-partisan organization which tracks campaign contributions to federal, state and local candidates across the country, Leach has collected campaign contributions totaling almost $2 million. Some of his largest contributions come from the real estate and construction industries, with combined contributions of over $127,000. It appears Jeff Leach repaid their political investments in him by voting for their agenda in the Legislature.
During the 2017 legislative session, Leach voted against SB 1215, which would have created a committee to study issues related to construction contracts. Leach also voted for HB 1449, which prohibited cities and counties from imposing linkage fees on new construction. These fees are usually used to provide affordable housing opportunities for the community, even as the cost burden for renters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is increasing.
His largest individual industry donor has been the tort reform lobby, Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR). Over the years, TLR has donated $140,500 to Leach’s campaigns. Leach, who currently chairs the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee, shepherded TLR’s top legislative priority through the House. HB 2826 gives the attorney general outright authority to determine who will represent a local governmental entity in construction defect lawsuits involving general contractors, architects and engineers rather than its own governmental body. The legislation became effective on September 1, 2019.
TLR openly praised Leach during the session, saying the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee was “ground zero for reforms in the House” and his chairmanship brought “an added layer of expertise and understanding to both the legislative negotiating process and to conversations about the bills in hearings.” After a session TLR considered “one of the most successful in a decade,” they endorsed his 2020 re-election bid and donated $95,000 to his campaign, their largest donation to Leach to date.
Jeff Leach has repeatedly demonstrated his allegiance to the special interest groups who finance his campaigns. When Texans send representatives to Austin, we expect those officials are there to advocate for us, not special interests who contribute to their campaign accounts.
