Former congressman and convicted money launderer Steve Stockman is taking another shot at federal office, this time filing paperwork to run for the U.S. House in the Houston area’s redrawn 9th District as a Republican, FEC filings show.
It’s been a decade since Stockman, once dubbed Texas’ “weirdest lawmaker” by Politico, stalked the halls of Congress. He was convicted of 23 felonies in 2018 on charges that he siphoned $1.2 million from conservative foundations and donors to cover personal and political expenses using a network of fake charities and shell companies.
President Donald Trump commuted Stockman’s 10-year sentence in 2020, leading to his release. Now, the congressman, whom Texas Monthly once described as “one of those kind of creepy politicians,” appears eager to get back in the game.
Stockman launched his campaign to represent the 9th District by playing victim, the Washington Examiner reports. Before the redistrict was redrawn by the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature, its longtime representative had been Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Green.
“In historic and unprecedented political persecution, as a sitting congressman, I became the venomous target of President Obama and his extremist henchmen,” Stockman said of his return. “Radical government lawyers spent millions of taxpayer dollars, four years, and convened four grand juries to execute their hatred.”
Stockman continued: “I was clearly a leading roadblock to their agenda. I will never shirk my solemn duty of freedom and this great nation.”
It’s also worth noting that Stockman’s 2018 convictions — which occurred after President Obama left office — weren’t the first time he’d faced allegations of playing fast and loose. He was accused of failing to disclose assets and accepting donations under false names during his previous two non-consecutive terms as congressman.
Stockman enters an already crowded race with nine candidates in the Republican primary, including Republican State Rep. Briscoe Cain, a right-wing gadfly known for inflammatory remarks such as his thinly veiled threat to shoot then-Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke.
Texans will have to wait until March 3 to see whether Houston-area voters are willing to elect a convicted felon to represent them in D.C.
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