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Saturday, July 26, 1997

UT chancellor will stop donating to political action committee

By PEGGY FIKAC / Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN (AP) - University of Texas System Chancellor William Cunningham's decision to stop donating to a political action committee that's come under scrutiny prompted Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock on Friday to defend Cunningham and PACs.

The Friends of the University PAC was created by UT alumni and supporters in 1992, soon after Cunningham was named chancellor. It has contributed to Bullock and other elected officials.

The political contributions drew attention when Jude Valdez, UT-San Antonio vice president, filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was demoted for not writing a $100 check to Bullock. UT officials denied any coercion.

Cunningham said he would stop giving money to the PAC and has suggested other high-ranking UT officials do the same, it was first reported in a copyright story Thursday by the San Antonio Express-News.

He said in a written statement that he wanted to "underscore the continued independence of the PAC," which he has defended as a legitimate way of supporting education-friendly candidates, the Austin American-Statesman reported Friday.

"UT employees have been a very small part of the committee's efforts, comprising only 7.6 percent of the contributors to the PAC since its inception five years ago," Cunningham said in his statement. He emphasized that the PAC was not created or operated by UT officials.

Cunningham, who was asked to review the donations by several regents, didn't return a telephone call from The Associated Press.

Bullock said if the UT regents pressured Cunningham to stop donating, that would be as bad as what Valdez said he underwent.

"I don't think contributions from higher education open up the door for them at all," Bullock said in an interview with the AP. "Whether Bill Cunningham contributes to that fund doesn't make a dime's worth of difference."

But if Cunningham wanted to contribute and was pressured not to do so, he said, "That would be just as wrong as what this vice president in San Antonio alleges happened to him."

"I think that higher education people, regents and others attending the university, if they're interested in that university, there's nothing wrong at all about forming a PAC to further that," he said.

Bullock defended PACs as giving all Texans a way to participate in the political process and try to further causes they believe in, even if they can't individually make large contributions to candidates.

He also spoke up for Cunningham, calling him a "very dear friend."

"He works not just for the University of Texas but for overall improvement in higher education for our state, and I think he is one of the best if not the best chancellor that I have ever seen ... in this state," Bullock said.

Describing himself as a "real strong supporter of higher education in Texas," Bullock said it's important for boards of regents to be involved in trying to get adequate funding for education.

"If you're appointed on the board of regents today, then you ought to spend a lot of time fund-raising and giving to political candidates. ... As long as the Legislature is as stingy as they damned are with higher education and with education in general, then by golly they ought to do it," Bullock said.

As for Valdez's lawsuit, Bullock said he does not recall ever meeting the vice president. He said he found it hard to believe Valdez faced coercion. "I would welcome and hope that they will call me as a witness in that trial," he said. "I will be there with bells on." Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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