Abbott operative defends scam

Rather than condemn the sleazy activity, top Greg Abbott political operative Dave Carney jumped to their defense. Carney tweeted that the group is legitimate and criticized Lone Star Project Director Matt Angle for exposing the effort as unauthorized and improper.

Dave Carney, of course, is no stranger to elaborate scam efforts to use progressive groups to bilk the public and help his own partisan causes. Just a few years ago, he and long-time Austin-based Republican lobbyist Mike Toomey arranged for a $500,000 payment from an undisclosed source to fund a program to qualify Green Party candidates for the Texas ballot hoping that Green Party candidates would siphon votes away from Democratic candidates.