Shouts punctuated an otherwise quiet Friday morning in downtown Fort Worth, as protesters from decried campaign contributions they said perpetuated antisemitism in the county.
The protesters held signs and chanted in unison across the street from the main target of their chants 鈥� County Judge Tim O鈥橦are鈥檚 鈥� office.
鈥淵ou know what they call people that take Nazi money?鈥� Alex Montalvo, an organizer with Tarrant 4 Change, asked those gathered.
鈥淣azis!鈥� came the resounding response.
O鈥橦are is one of 12 Tarrant County officials or candidates who have accepted campaign contributions from the since its inception in 2020. Those contributions have become contentious after reporting by the Texas Tribune revealed the PAC鈥檚 leader for several hours at an office in the county.
Fuentes began to gain public notoriety in the wake of the 鈥淯nite the Right鈥� rally, where various hate groups and neo-Nazis met in Charlottesville, Virginia. A counterprotester was murdered at the rally on Aug. 12, 2017, and many others were injured.
He has called for a , publicly questioned whether the Holocaust happened and pushed about the 2020 presidential election being stolen 鈥� , 鈥淲hat can you and I do to state legislators besides kill them?鈥�
Of those who received money from Defend Texas Liberty to run in Tarrant County races, O鈥橦are received the most, at $87,500.
When reached by the Fort Worth Report about the PAC鈥檚 donations to his 2022 campaign, O鈥橦are sent a written statement, where he said that before last week, he had never heard of Fuentes. No one from the county judge鈥檚 office would ever meet with him, he said, nor is he sure why anyone else would.
鈥淭here is no place for antisemitism anywhere in America, and certainly not within the Republican Party,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 fully support Israel and its right to defend itself and its citizens after the most recent heinous attacks. The images we see coming from Israel are beyond appalling.鈥�
He did not answer specific questions about whether he would return the donations, or whether he would accept future support from the PAC.
Andy Nguyen, a former Precinct 2 commissioner candidate who is now O鈥橦are鈥檚 chief of staff, received $51,000 from the PAC. Matt Krause, a former criminal district attorney candidate who is now running for Precinct 3 commissioner, received $27,500.
Neither Nguyen or Krause responded to requests for comment.
Defend Texas Liberty also reported giving $5,000 to Sheriff Bill Waybourn鈥檚 campaign in 2020. That donation is not listed on Waybourn鈥檚 campaign finance filings.
In a text message, Waybourn said he had no idea who Fuentes was before the PAC鈥檚 meeting.
鈥淚n my entire career I stood against all racism in any form,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 also firmly stand with Israel. I would never meet knowingly with any racist.鈥�
He did not answer specific questions about whether he would give up the donations, or whether he would accept future support from the PAC.
Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector Wendy Burgess received $1,000 in campaign contributions from Defend Texas Liberty and reported additional unsolicited support from the PAC. She did not respond to a request for comment. Former constable candidate David Woodruff received $1,000 from the PAC in 2020.
Five current Tarrant County judges received money from Defend Texas Liberty: Eric Starnes, Brooke Allen, Brad Clark and Mary Tom Curnutt received $500 each, and Randi Hartin received $1,000. Matt Hayes, a former justice of the peace candidate who lost in 2022, also received $500.
Montalvo, the Tarrant 4 Change organizer, said he鈥檚 disappointed that there haven鈥檛 been any public statements from local elected officials disavowing Defend Texas Liberty.
鈥淎nd then the fact that there鈥檚 been multiple Nazi sightings here in Fort Worth,鈥� he said, referencing a group of . 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a very easy, clear line we鈥檙e trying to establish for everyone: Nazis not welcome.鈥�
It鈥檚 hard to say how the fallout from Defend Texas Liberty鈥檚 meeting with Fuentes will impact Tarrant County Republican politics long term, said. Bradford is the former executive director of the Tarrant County Republican Party and consulted on Clark鈥檚 2022 campaign.
鈥淟ooking forward, I think people will be reluctant to accept funds from the organization, but as far as giving it back [from last cycle] 鈥� I don鈥檛 know that that鈥檚 going to happen or should happen, frankly,鈥� he said.
Local candidates accepted money from Defend Texas Liberty before the meeting with Fuentes, he said, and they had no way of knowing what was coming.
鈥淐andidates are not sitting there scrutinizing every penny that comes into their campaign saying, 鈥極h, we can鈥檛 take that. It鈥檚 going to be tainted in two years,鈥� he said.
Whether to give up PAC funds has already split the North Texas Republican delegation and state leaders.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan has to donate money from Defend Texas Liberty to other causes and disavow the PAC, while Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the meeting was a mistake but any of the money he鈥檚 received from the PAC.
For its part, Defend Texas Liberty released a : 鈥淲e reject Speaker Phelan鈥檚 effort to combine Defend Texas Liberty PAC with Nick Fuentes. We oppose Mr. Fuentes鈥� incendiary views.鈥�
The PAC is funded almost entirely by Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, West Texas billionaires who have to far-right Republican candidates and groups in the past decade.
Voters often aren鈥檛 in the know about PACs and candidate funding, Bradford said. As a result, the issue may end up having little effect on the local 2024 races.
鈥淚 think a lot of it is inside baseball,鈥� he said.
But that doesn鈥檛 preclude candidates from making their opponents鈥� prior acceptance of Defend Texas Liberty funds into a campaign issue. The success of such a strategy is up in the air, he said.
鈥淚f somebody accepts funds from them going forward, I think it鈥檚 much more tainted than if they took funds from them a few years ago,鈥� he said.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy . Emily Wolf is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at emily.wolf@fortworthreport.org or via .
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