An accidental endorsement? Texas pay-to-play slate recommends YES vote for a second questionable candidate

County Examiner finds a second compromised Republican candidate endorsed on a pay-to-play slate.

Yesterday County Examiner brought to light a pay-to-play GOP endorsement slate arriving in the mailboxes of thousands of Harris County, Texas -area Republican primary voters. This blog highlighted the problematic recommendation that Harris County, Texas-area GOP primary voters put former Judge James Lombardino back on the bench, only this time put him on the bench as Justice, 1st Court of Appeals, District Place 5.

You can read about it here.

Today, County Examiner highlights a SECOND problematic recommendation; only this time  that voters in Texas House District 138 mark their mail-in ballot or pull the lever for  questionable candidate Josh Flynn.

Why does a GOP primary win for Flynn put Harris County Republicans in a precarious position?

Mr Woodfill, as we revealed yesterday, self-identified as the President, Conservative Republicans of Harris County--the very entity behind the endorsement mailer. 

Where on this mailer has Mr. Woodfill disclosed to the voters he represented Josh Flynn in a civil court case? Is that little tidbit of information shown on this mailer? Conflict of interest, much?

Mr. Woodfill represented Josh Flynn in a case challenging Flynns eligibility to run for the HD 138 race, due to multiple factors surrounding Flynns resignation from the lucrative office of the Harris County Department of Education prior to filing run for the State Legislature.

For now, a court injunction prevents Paul Simpson, Chair of the Harris County Republican Party, from removing Flynn's name from the ballot.

Should Flynn win the March GOP primary and go on to the November general election, I expect Texas Democrats will hammer Texas Republicans over their choice of Flynn and pursue getting his name taken off the November 2020 ballot over this very issue, meaning Texas Republicans could conceivably LOSE this State Representative race to whoever gets the Democratic nod.

So have Steve Hotze and Jared Woodfill endorsed Flynn teeing up a Republican WIN in this race in November or endorsed Flynn setting up Republicans to LOSE this race in November?

Texas Republican pay-to-play slate accidentally endorses a compromised Republican---so he can lose?

Two Harris County-area Texas "Conservative" Republicans running an opinion "pay-to-play" endorsement slate have accidentally highlighted a compromised, (IMHO) GOP primary candidate and recommended him in the Republican primary--did they endorse him to win or did they endorse him to lose?

A slate endorsement arriving in the mailbox of tens of thousands of unsuspecting Harris County, Texas-area GOP primary voters is suggesting Republican primary voters vote YES for a certain Republican judge who wants get back on the bench. 

That judge is James Lombardino, the former judge of the 308th District Court. You see, Lombardino was booted off the bench in 2018; more on that in a moment.

The two Texas "Conservative" Republicans running the pay-to-play endorsement slate and their recommendation of Lombardino are shown in the two photos below:

What does Pay-to-Play mean in the context of a political endorsement in Texas? 

Well, Dictionary. com refers to "pay-to-play" as situations where one must exchange money to engage in an activity or to earn favors or influence, meaning money is exchanged for the purpose of extending the reach of the candidate.

How? By influencing the voter to take the "sample ballot" into the voting booth or complete their mail-in ballot using the above as a guide.

Why is their "sample ballot" suggesting a YES vote for Lombardino so problematic?

We'll let the eagle-eyed former Houston TV investigative reporter Wayne Dolcefino explain it to you:

Do you agree? Should judges avoid real or perceived impropriety and disclose potential conflicts of interest to everyone appearing in their courtroom?

Should Lombardino win the March GOP primary and go on to the November general election, I expect Texas Democrats will hammer Texas Republicans over their choice of Lombardino on the appearance of impropriety that caused him to lose his reelection bid back in 2018--meaning Texas Republicans could conceivably LOSE the race for the 1st Court of Appeals, District Place 5 in the November general to either Democrat Amparo Monique Guerra or Tim Hootman.

So is this endorsement designed for the Republican to win in this race or for the Republican to lose in this race?