Most of Texas Railroad Commission chairman’s campaign money came from oil and gas industry

For most of his reelection campaign, Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Wayne Christian has faced accusations of corruption and ethics lapses — first from his Republican primary opponents and, now, from the Democrat trying to unseat him. The criticism of his behavior intensified after it was revealed he accepted a $100,000 campaign donation from a company based in his hometown of Center just three days after he voted to approve the company’s permit request in December 2020. Christian, who is running for a second six-year term, has repeatedly denied doing anything inappropriate and said that contributions do not impact his decisions as commissioner. From Jan. 1, 2021 until Oct. 31, Christian has raised about $1.5 million. At least two-thirds of that money — a little over $1 million — has come from the oil and gas interests, either companies or individuals with industry ties, according to a Dallas Morning News review of Christian’s campaign finance reports.

The analysis does not include donors who may have ties to oil and gas that were not disclosed in the reports. The Railroad Commission does not oversee trains or railroads. Rather, it is the chief regulator of the massive oil and gas industry in Texas. In a statement, Christian said he has never allowed political contributions to influence his decisions in elected office. “I am supported by the oil and gas industry because I have a proven record of fighting for pro-business policies that create jobs and help our economy,” he said. “My opponent is supported by radical climate-activists, like the Sierra Club, who would shut down oil and gas — increasing the gas and grocery costs for every Texan.” Last year, Commission Shift, a nonprofit group seeking to overhaul the agency, released a series of reports along with Texans for Public Justice alleging the Railroad Commission is a “captured” agency and has such close ties to the industry it regulates that it cannot effectively oversee it. The reports looked at five years of Christian’s donations — January 2015 to December 2020 — and revealed that 69% were from oil and gas.