[8] In 2014, Empower Texans CEO Michael Quinn Sullivan was fined by the Texas Ethics Commission after the agency alleged that he had failed to register as a lobbyist starting in 2010.

[15] Through TFR, Empower Texans published an annual Fiscal Responsibility Index (a legislator rating scorecard); and a Taxpayer Pledge, which was signed by lawmakers who promised not to raise taxes.

[5][16][17][18] The group handed out "Taxpayer Champion Awards" to legislators who scored well on TFR's Fiscal Responsibility Index.

[16][20] In January 2015, Empower Texans launched a print and online publication project called Texas Scorecard.

[22] The group, which opposed Republican Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Joe Straus, made $1.4 million in donations and in-kind contributions to anti-Straus candidates in the 2016 primary election.

[6] In 2019, empower Texans CEO Michael Quinn Sullivan secretly recorded then Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen and then chair of the state’s House Republican Caucus Dustin Burrows making negative comments about other legislators, and offering the group press credentials providing floor access in exchange for their working against moderate Republican members.

[28] In June 2020, Empower Texans vice president Cary Cheshire and its general counsel Tony McDonald were recorded making derogatory comments about Texas Governor Greg Abbott, including joking about his use of a wheelchair.