# Texas PAC's '$25 for a Zoom class' scheme: bribery or grassroots outreach?

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/texas-pacs-25-for-a-zoom-class-scheme-bribery-or-grassroots-outreach
- Published: 2026-09-17T19:11:03.846047+00:00
- Topics: election-integrity, voter-fraud, texas-senate-race, campaign-finance, immigration

## What the left says
- The $25 payment compensates participants for their time spent on relational organizing, a widely used tactic where voters reach out to friends and family, not for casting a particular ballot.
- Texas Majority PAC says the organizer who described the program on hidden camera misrepresented how it actually works and was fired for that mischaracterization, meaning the video reflects one employee's poor phrasing rather than official policy.
- Paying people for organizing labor, phone-banking, or attending trainings is a long-standing, legal practice distinct from paying someone directly for their vote.
- The undercover sting was conducted by a conservative media outlet during a competitive Senate race, raising questions about timing and motive rather than settling the legal question of wrongdoing.

## What the right says
- The PAC's own organizing manager described the program as 'a roundabout way of paying people for their votes' and called it 'shady' and 'a little gray,' undercutting claims that it's simply grassroots outreach.
- The $500,000 spent on this program, at $25 per session, could reportedly fund payments to roughly 20,000 people, raising concerns about the scale of a scheme designed to skirt vote-buying laws.
- Texas Majority PAC is tied to George Soros funding and was already under investigation for bankrolling Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to block a redistricting vote, fitting a pattern of aggressive tactics.
- Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is also running against Talarico, calls the scheme an attempt to bribe voters, arguing that dressing up vote payments as an educational class doesn't change the underlying intent.

## Common ground
- Directly paying someone cash in exchange for voting a certain way is illegal under Texas and federal law.
- Texas Majority PAC operated a program called the 'Paid Relational Program' through software called 'Rally,' run by a company called Relentless, paying participants $25 to attend a one-hour Zoom session.
- The organizing manager who described the scheme on camera, Sky McAdams, was fired by the PAC afterward.
- The video was recorded undercover by Townhall and has become a flashpoint in the competitive Texas Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton.

## Sources
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-09-16-0700/voting-rights-and-voter-fraud-texas-ag-announces-arrest-seven-foreign-nationals-who-allegedly-voted-illegally-2024) (Center)
- [Blaze Media](https://www.theblaze.com/news/undercover-pac-soros-talarico-vote) (Right)
- [Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion](https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/09/texas-democrat-caught-on-video-explaining-25-program-to-influence-voters/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=texas-democrat-caught-on-video-explaining-25-program-to-influence-voters) (Unknown)
- [PJ Media](https://pjmedia.com/videos/2026/09/16/hidden-camera-footage-catches-talarico-superpac-paying-for-votes-n4957309) (Unknown)
- [RedState](https://redstate.com/videos/2026/09/16/hidden-camera-footage-catches-talarico-superpac-paying-for-votes-n2207008) (Unknown)
- [Townhall](https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/09/16/explosive-judiciary-committee-report-accuses-actblue-of-major-fraudulent-donation-cover-up-n2683088) (Right)

---
Content by TwoTakes (https://twotakes.us). You may quote, summarize and cite it, including in AI answers, as long as you credit TwoTakes and link the story URL. Original reporting belongs to the linked outlets. Summaries are AI-assisted and reviewed for balance; check the original sources for authoritative reporting.