October 11, 2023Texas State Representative

Representative Jared Patterson – Removing A Stain From My Campaign

 

 

“I was appalled to learn Defend Texas Liberty PAC hosted a Nazi sympathizer and Holocaust denier for six hours in their west Fort Worth office. This news is repulsive and disqualifying for any group espousing Christian, conservative ideals. Immediately upon learning the news I called for every elected official who has received funds from Defend Texas Liberty PAC to donate equal funds to a pro-Israel charity. Surprisingly, this was met with resistance from its handful of Texas House loyalists: Tony Tinderholt, Steve Toth, Brian Harrison, and Nate Schatzline, who either outright refused or don’t appear willing to distance themselves from the PAC.”

“On 10/26/2017 and 02/08/2018, I received in-kind contributions totaling $2,500 from Defend Texas Liberty PAC’s leader, Jonathan Stickland. Therefore, this week I made a donation of $2,500 from my campaign to the Friends of Israel Defense Forces (FIDF). Despite these in-kind donations to my campaign being made years before Defend Texas Liberty PAC’s existence, I could not rest until I washed my campaign from the stain of this organization and its leader. Now, I challenge Reps. Tinderholt, Toth, Harrison, and Schatzline to disavow Defend Texas Liberty PAC and donate the funds they have received to help Israel defend their people and their land from terrorist attack.”

 

 

 

In the realm of things I can’t believe we still have to fight, conservatives are joining forces to call out Defend Texas Liberty PAC, their founder Jonathan Stickland, and their network of astroturf organizations for inviting a known Nazi sympathizer and supporter of the Taliban, Nick Fuentes to their offices in west Fort Worth – and having enough to discuss that the meeting lasted SIX HOURS.

First reported by the Texas Tribune, I am sad to say that this development actually doesn’t shock me. Defend Texas Liberty Founder Jonathan Stickland once joked online that “rape doesn’t exist in marriage. Take what you want my friend.” His allies also openly made fun of Governor Abbott’s disability on a podcast they forgot to edit prior to publishing.

I was proud to join Speaker Phelan in calling for all elected officials who have received funds from Defend Texas Liberty PAC to donate the funds to an Israel-supporting charity. I also put my money where my mouth is by donating funds from 2017/2018, even before Defend Texas Liberty PAC existed.

We give no quarter to those who sympathize with Nazis or terrorists and espouse racist rhetoric, or who house those that do. Any candidate for public office should be shunned from the Republican Party so long as they are funded by Defend Texas Liberty PAC.