West Central Reporter

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Decatur) recently grilled Harris County, Texas, elections administrator Isabel Longoria about receiving political funding from a nonprofit backed by Mark Zuckerberg.

"Did the Harris County solicit this foundation money?” Davis asked at the Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Elections hearing.

Longoria said the county had applied for the funding.

A new Building Bias report details how the Facebook founder – through a nonprofit – steered upwards of $36 million in private cash to local Texas election administrators in 2020, with most of the money going to boost turnout in Democrat-controlled counties.

Davis wants to know if these funds are available to rural communities.

“It is something that the committee needs to look at whether or not funds are available to other rural communities and rural counties that may have some interest in having outside funding help with their election administration,” Davis said. “Mr. Chair, I don't think it should be relegated to just more populated counties in this country.

The Building Bias report shows the funds had an impact on almost three out of every four Texas residents, with grants financed by Zuckerberg touching at least 115 of the state’s 254 counties.

A bill now awaiting a public hearing in the Texas House and Senate would ban private money from being injected into local government election offices.

House Bill 2283 now sits in the House Elections Committee.