Standards
Political clients deserve clear boundaries. Here is how CMI works with organizations and candidates - in writing.
PACs, treasurers, filings, money, and endorsement decisions remain entirely yours.
Campaigns engage us as a vendor. We do not run through your club's endorsement process for pay.
Media dollars go direct to platforms and stations. You pay for the buy - not a hidden commission.
CMI trains and consults with conservative organizations. Separately, CMI provides campaign marketing services to candidates who hire us directly.
Organizational clients keep full control of their PACs, bank accounts, treasurers, filings, and endorsement decisions. We do not co-mingle organization funds with campaign work, and we do not treat an organization's endorsement as a paid placement for CMI.
In any given race, CMI works for one candidate - always. We will not advise opposing candidates in the same contest, and we will not quietly assist a second campaign while engaged by the first.
If a conflict appears, we disclose it and decline the conflicting work.
CMI never takes referral fees, kickbacks, or success payments tied to an organization's endorsement of a candidate.
Endorsements belong to the organization. Campaigns that want CMI's marketing services hire CMI under a separate engagement.
Strategy, budgets, targeting, creative drafts, donor and member lists shared with us, and opponent research are treated as confidential client information.
We do not share one client's non-public materials with another client. Published case studies use only results and materials the client has approved for public use, or information already in the public record.
Paid political communications must carry the required federal and Texas disclaimers. CMI builds disclaimer language into creative workflows for digital, video, and television.
Campaigns and organizations remain responsible for the accuracy of the "paid for by" entity and for any additional local requirements that apply to their communications.
CMI is a marketing services vendor. Campaigns and organizations remain responsible for their own campaign-finance compliance, including contributions, expenditures, reporting, and any limits that apply under federal or Texas law.
We can help you structure invoices and media buys so your treasurer has a clean paper trail. We do not serve as your treasurer or compliance counsel.
Member lists, donor records, voter files, and form submissions shared with CMI are used only to deliver the contracted work.
We do not sell client lists. Access is limited to people working on the engagement. When an engagement ends, we follow the ownership and retention terms in the agreement.
Email and SMS programs must respect consent, unsubscribe, and applicable federal and Texas rules. CMI builds membership and campaign messaging on compliant infrastructure and teaches the operating standards at Field School and in membership.
Clients remain responsible for how their lists were collected and for honoring opt-outs. We will not knowingly send to lists that lack a lawful basis to message.
No paid advertising goes live without client approval of the creative and the buy parameters (audience, geography, budget, and dates).
For television and other regulated placements, we also confirm disclaimer text and required documentation before the schedule runs. Urgent changes still require a named client approver.
Unless a written agreement says otherwise, the client owns the website content, creative assets produced for the engagement, and the platform ad accounts funded by the client.
CMI may retain internal process tools, templates, and frameworks that are part of our method. Login credentials for client-owned properties should sit with the client or a designated officer - not locked inside a personal volunteer account with no succession plan.
Advertising media spend goes direct to the platforms and stations (Meta, Google, cable providers, and similar). CMI does not mark up media dollars.
You pay CMI for strategy, creative, setup, management, and training as agreed in the engagement. You pay the media vendor for the impressions. That separation is intentional - so boards and campaigns can see exactly what bought the ads.
Questions about an engagement? Call or text 512-798-1900 or book a call. For campaign packages see Candidates. For organization trainings see the Field School.
