Scorecard Confessions has previously addressed the connections between Steve Bannon and the Texas Scorecard's Axis of Allies, as detailed in the article here, as well as his Bannon acolyte Carolyn Wren's direct associations with Ken Paxton:

Carolyn Wren, a close associate of Steve Bannon, played a crucial role in the events of January 6 by leading fundraising efforts that facilitated the gathering of numerous individuals in Washington, D.C. for the January 6 event.

A portion of the funds raised for the January 6 event were directed to the Republican Attorney General's Association, an entity to which Ken Paxton was affiliated.

We've also covered Carolyn Wren’s ties to Influenceable, a paid gaslight marketing agency that is purportedly owned by Brad Parscale. This connection is discussed in relation to its connection to Texas Scorecard:

However, beneath the surface lies Brad Parscale's role as Jenner's chief advisor during her bid for California's governorship. Parscale's Campaign Nucleus, a platform showcased on Influenceable's website, was utilized for Jenner's campaign.

Caroline Wren also assumed an advisory position for Jenner:
It's noteworthy that Caroline Wren, who previously held a position at Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee for President Trump's 2020 campaign, also advised Jenner.

Furthermore, Scorecard Confessions has delved into the complications arising from Senators, who function as jurors in the impeachment trial, having various conflicts of interest. This concern was reported on June 19:

The issue of potential conflicts of interest among senators serving as jurors has raised considerable concerns. Certain senators, due to their direct conflicts of interest related to the alleged crimes of Paxton or individuals connected to those crimes, are being scrutinized. For instance, Angela Paxton, the defendant's spouse, is alleged to have received a bribe, while the woman involved in Paxton's affair previously held a position working for Senator Donna Campbell.

Another senator, specifically Bryan Hughes, is also embroiled in conflicts of interest. Sen. Hughes initiated the request for an advisory opinion to AG Ken Paxton’s office, ostensibly as a favor to Nate Paul. This situation was covered by the Associated Press:

Another Republican senator facing potential conflict is Sen. Bryan Hughes. The articles of impeachment from the House accuse Paxton of employing Hughes as a “straw requestor” for a legal opinion, a move aimed at shielding Paul from property foreclosure.

Currently, there's no evidence indicating that Senator Hughes will be disqualified from serving as a juror in Paxton's impeachment trial. Unlike Sen. Angela Paxton, who has been restricted from participating as a juror, Hughes' participation in the trial despite being implicated in Paxton's questionable activities raises concerns for the Attorney General's defense team. Specifically, there's apprehension that Hughes might cast a vote in favor of Paxton's conviction.

Today, Scorecard Confessions will delve into the role Steve Bannon is playing on behalf of Texas Scorecard's Axis of Allies

Bannon Puts 6 Texas State Senators in His Crosshairs

During a Tuesday broadcast, Steve Bannon featured Lauren Davis, a candidate for Dallas County GOP Chair, on his show.

During the interview, Davis expressed concerns about several individuals she referred to as the "lobbying firms, the “Austin swamp”, and the consultants" who might be influencing certain senators. She identified a group of six senators:

• Kelly Hancock
• Charles Schwertner
• Mayes Middleton
• Bryan Hughes
• Charles Perry
• Drew Springer

Of particular focus for Davis was Mayes Middleton, whom she pointed out had contributed $300,000 to Paxton's primary opponent, Louie Gohmert.

Bannon followed up by stating, "This marks the start of our efforts; we intend to delve deeper and bring these six individuals into the public eye in the upcoming days."

It's worth noting that Davis failed to mention any evidence on the most recent Campaign Finance Reports indicating that Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) is using funds to influence the impeachment trial. However, the same cannot be said for Bannon's associates, who have contributed a total of $3,000,000 to Judge Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, after it became clear Patrick would be overseeing the impeachment trial.

Bannon Doubles Down on Wednesday

On the subsequent Wednesday, Lauren Davis returned as a guest on Bannon's show, alongside Jonathan Stickland from the Defend Texas Liberty PAC, which had contributed $3,000,000 to Senate trial judge Dan Patrick.

Staying true to their pattern, Stickland reiterated the familiar unverified claims from Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies, asserting that both Trump's and Kari Lake's elections were stolen.

Stickland attributed Paxton's impeachment to a "particular special interest group that has been supporting the establishment and targeting conservatives for more than a decade." This statement seemed to allude to TLR, a talking point initially introduced by Paxton's attorney, Tony Buzbee.

Stickland also failed to provide substantiating evidence for this claim.

Baseless accusations are a recurrent strategy among mouthpieces associated with Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies:

As outlined in a Scorecard Confessions report from May 29:

Despite almost three weeks passing since McDonald's allegations, he has yet to furnish any concrete evidence or even the mentioned letter, thereby eroding the credibility of his assertions.

Davis reiterated the names of the six Senators and openly stated:
"Four of them: Hughes, Middleton, Perry, and Springer, all share a former consultant of Ken Paxton…it’s truly less about Paxton and more about how they maintain power."

Bannon swiftly responded, saying, “Now we get down to it, this is the old Bush junta that doesn’t want to give up the levers of power from a rising populist movement, led by President Trump.”

The consultant hinted at by Davis is Jordan Berry. This consultant has been a point of contention for Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies, particularly Michael Quinn Sullivan and Luke Macias, since at least 2017. Berry was previously aligned with The Enterprise until an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Macias and Sullivan, who steered the Scorecard Syndicate. The attempt to sway some of The Enterprise's major donors against them was detected before it gained momentum, thanks to a tip-off from former Axiom consultant Matt Langston, according to sources familiar with the feud.

Texas Scorecard's Pattern of Emulation, Not Innovation

As previously discussed in a Scorecard Confessions report June 15, a noteworthy trend is apparent: Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies often mirror the actions of others to attempt to justify their unethical behavior.

Several instances exemplify this trend:

• Drawing parallels between Ken Paxton's impeachment and former President Donald Trump's indictments.
• Establishing a less sophisticated version of Cambridge Analytica called Influenceable to manipulate the perception of voters.
• Crafting their version of the CNN documentary "Deep In The Pockets of Texas" as "The Heist," laden with conspiracy theories, to mimic the original's factual content.
• Using insinuation to malign Texas House members while ignoring the Axis of Allies' own significant financial support for expelled members involved in misconduct in addition to Ken Paxton.

Building upon these instances, their latest endeavor involves promoting the theory that TLR is influencing Texas House and Senate members through campaign contributions to support Ken Paxton's impeachment.

Notably, this projection attempts to rationalize their extensively documented efforts to sustain Paxton's position. Notably, they directed $3,000,000 to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who was overseeing the proceedings, after the campaign donation moratorium was lifted following the legislative session. It's essential to recognize that this contribution to Patrick is only one of the various strategies Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies has employed to tamper with grand and trial juries, Texas House, and Texas Senate.

Texas Scorecard's Luke Macias talks with Eric Metexas

During a recent online show hosted by author Eric Metexas, Luke Macias, a Texas Scorecard host and a political consultant for The Enterprise, provided insights into various topics relating to the Ken Paxton impeachment, retaliation and intimidation strategies Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies intend to deploy, and more.

Early in the conversation, Macias asserted that the Texas Senate leans more conservative than the Texas House. He further claimed that Speaker Dade Phelan and House leadership had to exert pressure to secure compliance in voting for Ken Paxton's impeachment, despite the fact that far more than the majority of the Republican Caucus voted for the Attorney General's impeachment.

Engaging in baseless conjecture, Macias floated a conspiracy theory suggesting that TLR (Texans for Lawsuit Reform) and the Bush family were orchestrating Paxton's impeachment. Neither Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies nor Paxton's impeachment defense team has substantiated this claim with evidence.

Macias issued an implied threat to the chamber he previously labeled as more conservative, implying that if Paxton were to be convicted in the Texas Senate, The Enterprise would take retaliatory actions against the senators responsible and unleash a Civil War.

Notably, Macias also used a favorite term, “the grassroots,” which Scorecard Confessions has reported is is used as a smokescreen alias referring to The Enterprise.

The Enterprise's Future Plans for Ken Paxton

Macias provided a glimpse into the forthcoming political endeavors of Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies—Ken Paxton is anticipated to challenge John Cornyn and contend for a U.S. Senate seat in 2026:

It’s also worth noting The Enterprise has indicated they intend to run expelled State Representative Bryan Slaton for office again, too.

Exploring the Dual Standards of The Enterprise's Approach

Post Paxton's impeachment, Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies and their representatives have advocated for treating the Attorney General's impeachment trial with the gravitas of a criminal trial rather than as a political process.

Paxton's defense team during the impeachment trial has consistently echoed this sentiment in multiple motions filed in the Senate.

However, Senate trial judge Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has publicly dismissed both Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies and Paxton's defense team's assertions that the trial should adhere to the criminal standard.

For the sake of argument, if the Senate trial were indeed held to the standards of a criminal trial:

• Defend Texas Liberty's manipulation of House and Senate members would be classified as a felony.
• Jonathan Stickland's recurrent veiled threats aimed at legislators would be deemed felonious.
• Any political organization, like Defend Texas Liberty, endeavoring to pressure legislators into rendering a not guilty verdict prior to the trial's commencement would commit a felony.
• Dan Patrick's acceptance of what some perceive as a $3,000,000 bribe, along with Tim Dunn, Farris Wilks, Michael Quinn Sullivan of Texas Scorecard, Cary Cheshire of Pale Horse Strategies, Luke Macias and Jonathan Stickland of Defend Texas Liberty PAC, and Dan Patrick's likely indictment under the RICO statute for racketeering, would ensue as a consequence.

In essence, if the trial were treated as a criminal case adhering to the same standards, the majority of Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies could face severe legal consequences.

Throughout their existence, Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies have been prone to shifting their stance to gain an upper hand. However, concerning Ken Paxton's impeachment trial, should the goalposts shift, there's a strong possibility that many of them could find themselves in federal penitentiaries.

In a moment when public faith in institutions and information is already under duress, the actions of Texas Scorecard’s Axis of Allies only add to the erosion. Their penchant for prioritizing their personal agendas over the greater good calls into question their commitment to the democratic principles that have long defined discourse in Texas.