CNN
Over the course of a few months, a debt collector you’ve probably never heard of spends more money wooing politicians than most Americans earn in a year.
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson has countless politicians – from school board members to state lawmakers – on its side. It takes them to fancy dinners and spends millions on their campaigns. It even puts current elected officials on its payroll.
These connections have paid off big time. For decades, the firm has beat out the competition, gotten some state and federal laws changed in its favor and landed lucrative contracts nationwide –- making it one of the favorite debt collectors for state and local governments across the country.
And nowhere is its political pull greater than in its home state of Texas. It all started here, when 1980s legislation paved the way for local governments to hire private attorneys like Linebarger to collect unpaid taxes and hit debtors with big fees. This sparked such a boom in the industry that it even led a group of former partners to name a hunting ranch after that part of the state tax code – dubbing it 3348 Ranch.
Fast forward to today, and Linebarger is working for hundreds of local government agencies across Texas. It has won contracts to collect hundreds of millions of dollars a year from consumers for everything from unpaid parking tickets to overdue property taxes.
But getting all that business hasn’t come cheap.
“They’re just a big dog and have been that way for a long time,” said Craig McDonald, director of the nonprofit Texans for Public Justice (TPJ). “They have the ability through political connections and campaign contributions to squeeze a lot of competitors out of the market.”
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson has countless politicians – from school board members to state lawmakers – on its side. It takes them to fancy dinners and spends millions on their campaigns. It even puts current elected officials on its payroll.
These connections have paid off big time. For decades, the firm has beat out the competition, gotten some state and federal laws changed in its favor and landed lucrative contracts nationwide –- making it one of the favorite debt collectors for state and local governments across the country.
And nowhere is its political pull greater than in its home state of Texas. It all started here, when 1980s legislation paved the way for local governments to hire private attorneys like Linebarger to collect unpaid taxes and hit debtors with big fees. This sparked such a boom in the industry that it even led a group of former partners to name a hunting ranch after that part of the state tax code – dubbing it 3348 Ranch.
But getting all that business hasn’t come cheap.
“They’re just a big dog and have been that way for a long time,” said Craig McDonald, director of the nonprofit Texans for Public Justice (TPJ). “They have the ability through political connections and campaign contributions to squeeze a lot of competitors out of the market.”
Buying power
In a state known for limitless campaign donations, highly-paid lobbyists and political favors, Linebarger is one of the most politically-active businesses in Texas – on both the state and local levels.The firm doles out more on lobbying state lawmakers than some of Texas’s biggest corporate giants, including ExxonMobil, American Airlines and Halliburton, according to state records.
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14 comments:
That's politics. Commerce all the way around.
It's not 1977 all over again, Montoya. Get real real fast, guey!
Quit whining Mexicans...Your boy Beto is history after he loses to this billionaire from Dallas in court. Beto talks too much...it’s called libel and slander!
All recipients of the Linebarger monies are corrupt political oil and gas leaders. They had and have been for years stealing from heirs to large land grants in South Texas.
Gilbert Hinojos is a paid consultant for Linebarger. That is why he represents Leal vs Minerva Peña for free. Linebarger is paying for her representation. They never change…. It’s all about BISD contract. That is why they fund Gilbert’s wife also. Shameful
If in case you fall behind on your property tax, you have to dish up 40% of the total you owe to make a contract for monthly payments,if not you lose your home. The current tax ass in the cameron county brought this company here back in the early 90's (the one in the story).
Now the CC tax dept,is asking 30% of the total you owe, in back taxes. If you owe 10,000 you have to dish up 3,500 up front, to get a contract, again all of these ideas come from elected officials and sharks that want your property.
If you don't get a contract your property is open to forclosure at any time, a contract keeps away the people that want to forclose on your home.
LETS ELECT THIS INDIVIDUAL AGAIN AND AGAIN thy might/will go 50% next time.
Unfortunately in this country it is all about the money. Oh well!
They should also go after all those greedy people who claimed "Historical designation "bullshit on their personal homes and make them back pay all the years that they have been "exempt" from paying taxes. How ironically that most of these non payers are former or current public officials. I hope that one day, the State will eliminate this designation from personal homes and make everyone pay their fair share. Some even have warehouses with this designation but are making money by renting them. Totally pathetic.
Why dont they go after Cortez properties?
Puro Pinche Greg ALV
So do you think Ruben Cortez paid his delinquent taxes? Maybe Lamantia paid them for him. There is nothing but caca republicana in that Mantia but it could be old politiqueras resurrecting. All I am saying is Why else would Ruben strap to LaMantia and LaMantia would surely pay good money for votes. Look at all the signs she has out there. Oh of course Ruben's mom may have had something with this arrangement. This is not surprising. This is Brownsville politics. So as the gringos would say Ruben, "the apple does not fall far from the tree." Or as La Raza would say "de tal rata sale tal raton." PINCHE VENDIDO.
Pinche half coco transgender dumpster rata no paga impuesto de propiedad porque Vive en una pinche casa de carton! Ya deja de mamarle la verga a Trump! Pendejo nomas le gusta el chorizo de Trump! No deja de habla de el! Hahahahaha!
April 2, 2022 at 9:59 PM
So your idol is no longer holding your ears? Now he's holding your ass, PINCHE MARICON JOTO.
Todo este pedo es culpa de trumputo y los racistas republicanos.
TRUMPUTO'S FAULT
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