A political organization linked to casino giant Las Vegas Sands poured $168,155.69 into the Irving City Council election this spring — and failed to secure a single outright victory.
Just under $75,000 of these expenditures came after The Dallas Express reported in late April that The Lone Star Conservative Action Fund had spent around $100,000 on the race.
The Lone Star Conservative Action Fund, which has drawn scrutiny for its alignment with Las Vegas Sands interests, turned the money gun on the Dallas County race, spreading its financial backing across three Irving City Council candidates during the latest election cycle, according to campaign finance filings. Despite the influx of outside money, two of the three contests were won outright by anti-casino candidates, and the third is headed to a runoff.
The group’s total expenditures in April and May are laid out in recent campaign finance filings, reflecting expenditures by candidates and other supporting PACs. The Las Vegas Sands-linked PAC spent $101,961.74 on behalf of David Pfaff (District 2), $32,307.52 for Tony Grimes (Place 1), and $42,939 in support of Priscilla Vigliante (District 7).
The expenditures were variously labeled with notes such as “Design, Production, Data, and Postage for Mail Advertisements” and “Design and Distribution of Digital Voter Contact.”
The legal reporting windows differ for the various entities involved in Irving’s city council race, with the window for the candidates not yet closed. Therefore, it will not be fully known how much was spent on campaigns until the end of the month. However, as DX‘s previous reporting in late April showed, the Sands-aligned organization was spending more money than any candidate or trio of candidates they supported or opposed.
The legal reporting window for the Lone Star Conservative Action Fund, however, has closed, and its documents are among the first to become available on the Texas Ethics Commission website.
Despite the imbalances, Adam Muller defeated Vigliante outright.
“Against all odds, we proved that our residents’ voices are stronger than the billionaire interests who tried to buy this election,” Muller said to The Dallas Express. “I’m honored to serve and deeply grateful to the many voters for putting their trust in me.”
Incumbent John Bloch also decisively beat Grimes.
Pfaff will face Sergio Porres in a runoff.
During a March 14 town hall, Las Vegas Sands Vice President Andrew Abboud was asked whether the company would seek to influence Irving’s zoning decisions via financial contributions to politicians or PACs.
“No, no, would never do that,” Abboud said.
Some in the audience audibly disagreed. After his remarks, several attendees shouted “lies” and “liar.”
The apparent contradiction between what Abboud said in mid-March and the expenditures allied organizations made in April raises questions about the degree to which Sands representatives are forthcoming with the city officials and citizens.
The Lone Star Conservative Action Fund’s presence in the race has heightened scrutiny around a previously proposed zoning change that could pave the way for casino-style entertainment or hospitality development in Irving. As reported by The Dallas Express, some candidates, like Pfaff and Vigliante, who benefited from PAC support, have denied any ties to casino lobbying.