Why was the leader of a failed Texas housing nonprofit a major political contributor to Texas officials?
Steve Sterquell, the one-time head of the now bankrupt Amarillo, Texas nonprofit affordable housing corporation American Housing Foundation, gave out nearly $370,000 to Texas elected officials over eight years according to the Amarillo Globe-News. This made Sterquell number 65 on the 2006 list of Texas campaign contributors according to Texans for Public Justice, a campaign watchdog group. Sterquell died in an April 1 car crash that has been ruled a suicide. Bankruptcy proceedings for American Housing Foundation began in April of this year. The nonprofit owns 78 apartment projects renting to low-income persons, 52 of which are in Texas. The Amarillo Globe-News has posted a list of the apartments. This situation raises many questions. 1) Why did a Texas nonprofit housing corporation head give so much in political contributions to Texas state officials? We will probably never know the true answer, but here is some speculation. The largest contributions were made to the two most recent Te
