Dan Patrick's campaign to buy $3M in Israeli bonds after controversial donation

Texas Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's political campaign announced it will buy $3 million in Israeli bonds as the American-allied country fights a war with the terrorist group Hamas.

Earlier this year, Lt. Gov. Patrick received a $3 million donation and loan from the controversial political group Defend Texas Liberty PAC. Then, leaders of the group met with Nick Fuentes, a well-known white supremacist who's called for a "holy war" against Jews. The meeting has embroiled the state's top leaders in an already red-hot political feud.

Former Bedford lawmaker Jonathan Stickland was the group's president until around two weeks after the meeting when the group's website listed his counterpart, Luke Macias, as president. Several other staffers have posted anti-Semitic posts. It is unclear if they still work for the group.

Lt. Gov. Patrick wrote he was "appalled about what I am learning about the anti-Semitic activities among some in Texas who call themselves conservatives and Republicans."

The Texas Tribune photographed Fuentes leaving Stickland's office two weeks ago along with other social media influencers and political operatives. The meeting has sparked political self-reflection among Republicans.

In a statement, Patrick called on Republican groups to purge themselves from staff who hold anti-Semitic views.

"Let me put this as clearly as I can — if you are anti-Semitic, if you admire Hitler and don’t believe the Holocaust happened in Europe, if you hate Jews, you are NOT a Republican, and you are not welcome in our party," wrote Lt. Gov. Patrick.

After the Fuentes meeting, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) and dozens of Republican members of the House called on their fellow lawmakers to return or redirect donations made by Defend Texas Liberty PAC. Phelan called on Patrick to "lead the way in redirecting these funds."

Patrick initially said he was going to keep the money in his campaign, writing in a statement he spoke with one of the group's major donors, who acknowledged "mistakes were made" and would be corrected.

This purchase of Israeli bonds matches the amount of the donation and loan from earlier this year. Lt. Gov. Patrick specifically mentioned the state's party organization in his statement.

"Every Republican group in the state, no matter how small or how large, including our State Party, needs to root out this cancer. Before anyone is hired or appointed to a position of leadership, in addition to their resume and work record, their social media needs to be reviewed. Those who are anti-Semitic are not welcome in our party," wrote Lt. Gov. Patrick.

“Lt. Governor Patrick correctly points out that we have problems that need to be addressed in the formal structure of the Republican Party of Texas," wrote Phelan, calling on the Party chairman, Matt Rinaldi, to resign. Phelan also named Texans for Strong Borders, whose president was photographed driving Fuentes to the meeting.

The Republican Party of Texas received more than $130,000 from the group and so far has not announced any redirection of that money despite an internal push from some members of the State Republican Executive Committee. Republican Party chair Matt Rinaldi was also photographed by the Tribune entering Stickland's office during the meeting but denied meeting with Fuentes and told the outlet, "I completely condemn that guy and everything he stands for."

In response, Rinaldi wrote online, "Dade Phelan’s beer goggles have prevented him from seeing the truth. I have been a lifetime supporter of Israel and denounced Nick Fuentes from the moment I first became aware we were in the same zip code."

Last week, around a third of the party's 64-member executive committee, called on the party to cut its ties with the controversial donors until the people involved in the meeting were "disassociated."

Defend Texas Liberty PAC is one of the most influential groups in the state Republican politics, being a major donors to Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Gov. Patrick.

Patrick accepted a $1 million donation and $2 million loan before presiding over Paxton's impeachment trial, arguing he accepted it in "good faith" and also accepted some money from Paxton's opponents. Defend Texas Liberty was by far the most vocal supporter of Paxton in his impeachment trial, launching a pressure campaign to get senators to vote to acquit the attorney general on bribery and abuse of power allegations.

The group is largely funded by West Texas oil and gas billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks. The two men, through their affiliated groups, have tried to unseat Republicans who they felt didn't share their ultra-conservative and religious worldview, including a primary challenge against Gov. Greg Abbott. Recently, Defend Texas Liberty and their handful of supporters in the Texas House have tried to organize a revolt against Speaker Phelan.

Because bonds are investments in a government, Patrick may get the amount he invested back with interest over time.

University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus told The Dallas Morning News since Patrick and Phelan are in a very public feud, Patrick likely didn't do exactly what Phelan called on him to do - donating the funds to charity.

"This is a sidestep at best towards complying with the trend in the moderate wing of the party that wants to see the GOP divide itself from some of these individuals," said Rottinghaus.

Lt. Gov. Patrick, in his statement, criticized Democratic members of Congress who have been supportive of Hamas, noted he met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in 2016, and the chamber he leads passed a resolution supporting Israel's right to defend itself after the Hamas terrorist attack.