[CAPTURE PORTAL] 119TH CONGRESS
Legislative Integrity Monitor
Goblin House Intelligence
Congress → Officials → Michael Cloud

Michael Cloud

Republican · Representative, TX ·27

Michael Cloud is the Republican U.S. Representative (TX's 27th congressional district). The platform has 4 voting records on file (2025-2026) and 50 verified facts on file covering this member's voting positions, financial disclosures, and stated platform commitments.

Score Components
60 ELEVATED
Connection Density 20%
56 → 11
Donor Influence 15%
12 → 2
Silence Risk 25%
69 → 17
Contradiction Risk 25%
89 → 22
Intelligence Volume 15%
65 → 10
Constituency Deviation 0%
27 → 0
Voting Misalignment 0%
0 → 0
% = weight in composite score · Raw component 0–100 × weight = weighted contribution (→) · Sum of contributions = overall score. Hover a row for details.
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Non-English language at home: 29.6% of households (Spanish: 27.5%)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Drives alone to work: 79.3%
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median age: 38.0
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Unemployment rate: 4.8%
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Foreign-born population: 8.28% (64.4k)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Citizenship rate: 94.8%
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: White (Non-Hispanic) population share: 37.2% (289k)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Hispanic population share: 54.6% (424k)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Population: 777,664 (2024)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median rent: $1,212
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median home value: $211,700
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Bachelor's degree or higher: 21.4%
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Homeownership rate: 66.3%
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Poverty rate: 15.7% (Data USA 2024); 11.8% (ACS 5-Year)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median household income: $68,094 (2024)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: Texas Proposition 1 — Property Tax Reduction (2023) (2023) — passed, margin approved by voters
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: Texas Proposition 6 — Water Infrastructure Fund (2023) (2023) — passed, margin 77.5% to 22.5%
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 21 - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction (share 0.045)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 23 - Construction (share 0.107)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 44-45 - Retail Trade (share 0.111)
secondary ✓ Verified
US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy_interest Cloud voted Yea on Laken Riley Act mandating ICE detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft, aligning with his border-security brand including…
One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) voted_for Cloud voted Yea on H.R. 1 on July 3, 2025 despite having publicly warned just one week earlier that the Senate version would add $1 trillion to deficit. He…
Chip Roy ideological_ally As a member of the Freedom Caucus fiscal hawk bloc, Cloud shares ideological alignment with fellow Texas Freedom Caucus member Chip Roy regarding deficit…
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) supporter Cloud enthusiastically championed DOGE from his position on the House Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency. DOGE fired thousands of…
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy_interest Cloud voted to mandate ICE detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft via Laken Riley Act (S. 5 / H.R. 29, 2025-01-22).
American Israel Public Affairs Committee PAC donor $10,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2024 cycle (2 contributions), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00797670/
Let'S Get To Work PAC donor $7,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2026 cycle (1 contribution), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00692327/
American Revival PAC donor $5,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2024 cycle (1 contribution), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00639229/
House Freedom Fund donor $5,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2024 cycle (1 contribution), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00552851/
Phillips 66 PAC donor $5,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2024 cycle (2 contributions), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00513549/
Texas Republicans United PAC (Tru PAC) donor $5,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2026 cycle (1 contribution), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00481531/
Huck PAC donor $5,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2024 cycle (1 contribution), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00448373/
Cheniere Energy Inc. PAC donor $10,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2024 cycle (6 contributions), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00430157/
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. PAC donor $10,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2026 cycle (2 contributions), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00411116/
Conservative Opportunity Leadership & Enterprise PAC - Colepac donor $6,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2026 cycle (3 contributions), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00404392/
Dell Technologies PAC donor $5,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2024 cycle (1 contribution), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00369751/
Buckeye Liberty PAC donor $10,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2026 cycle (2 contributions), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00366781/
Basf Corporation Employees Political Action Committee donor $6,500 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2026 cycle (3 contributions), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00340075/
Susan B Anthony List Inc. Candidate Fund donor $6,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2024 cycle (2 contributions), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00332296/
Lyondell Chemical Company PAC donor $5,000 to Michael Cloud's principal committee in the 2026 cycle (2 contributions), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00306175/
BillVoteDateAlignment
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United… Yea 2026-09-16 unknown
Water Resources Development Act Yea 2026-09-16 unknown
Ratepayer Protection Act Yea 2026-09-16 unknown
An Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow early childhood… Yea 2026-09-16 unknown
PROOF Act Yea 2026-09-16 unknown
National Fraud Enforcement Division Act Yea 2026-09-16 unknown
Retire through Ownership Act Nay 2026-09-16 unknown
Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers… Nay 2026-09-15 unknown
Providing for consideration of the bills H.R. 9576 and H.R. 10326, providing… Yea 2026-09-15 unknown
Fostering the Use of Technology to Uphold Regulatory Effectiveness in… Yea 2026-09-15 unknown
Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Nay 2026-09-15 unknown
Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act Yea 2026-09-15 unknown
GUARD Act Nay 2026-09-15 unknown
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United… Yea 2026-09-15 unknown
Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes… Yea 2026-09-15 unknown
Whistleblower Protection Act Yea 2026-09-15 unknown
Providing for consideration of the bills H.R. 9576 and H.R. 10326, providing… Yea 2026-09-15 unknown
Local Communities & Bird Habitat Stewardship Act Nay 2026-09-14 unknown
National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team Act Nay 2026-09-14 unknown
Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act Yea 2026-09-03 unknown
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require… Yea 2026-09-02 unknown
Protecting Domestic Mining Act Yea 2026-09-02 unknown
Providing for the condemnation and denouncement of socialism in all its forms… Yea 2026-09-01 unknown
To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to extend the time period… Nay 2026-09-01 unknown
In the matter of allegations relating to Representative Chuck Edwards Yea 2026-09-01 unknown
AGOA Extension Act Nay 2026-09-01 unknown
To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to extend the time period… Yea 2026-09-01 unknown
Providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 1501, H.R. 9436, and H.R… Yea 2026-09-01 unknown
Providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 1501, H.R. 9436, and H.R… Yea 2026-09-01 unknown
Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act Nay 2026-08-31 unknown
Last contradiction analysis: Never
reversal 90/100
Platform: "On June 26, 2025, Cloud publicly warned as a Freedom Caucus fiscal hawk: 'It's going to take the Senate taking seriously what was in the House bill.' He said Senate changes that could add 'an additional $1 trillion to…
[ Show full platform position ]
On June 26, 2025, Cloud publicly warned as a Freedom Caucus fiscal hawk: 'It's going to take the Senate taking seriously what was in the House bill.' He said Senate changes that could add 'an additional $1 trillion to the overall deficit over 10 years' were unacceptable and the Freedom Caucus would 'not vote for any Senate bill that deepens the deficits from the original House bill.'
"
Vote: on "On July 3, 2025, Cloud voted Yea on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, Roll Call 190) — the…"
Cloud publicly warned the Senate version of the OBBB would add $1 trillion to the deficit over 10 years and vowed the Freedom Caucus would not support it. Within one week, he voted for the same bill, then told Texas Politics: 'You never get everything you want.' This is a complete reversal on the same policy question…
[ Show full analysis ]
Cloud publicly warned the Senate version of the OBBB would add $1 trillion to the deficit over 10 years and vowed the Freedom Caucus would not support it. Within one week, he voted for the same bill, then told Texas Politics: 'You never get everything you want.' This is a complete reversal on the same policy question — the same statutory hook (reconciliation), same population affected (all taxpayers and benefit recipients), same enforcement mechanism (spending and tax law).
platform_vs_vote 90/100
Platform: "In his official newsletter after the OBBB vote, Cloud celebrated the bill, saying: 'This bill enacts the largest mandatory spending reforms in history — it's a big start.' He touted $1.94 million in Community Project…
[ Show full platform position ]
In his official newsletter after the OBBB vote, Cloud celebrated the bill, saying: 'This bill enacts the largest mandatory spending reforms in history — it's a big start.' He touted $1.94 million in Community Project Funding he secured for the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority.
"
Vote: on "Cloud's district is 54.6% Hispanic — a majority-minority district. The OBBB's Medicaid work…"
Cloud celebrated the OBBB as a 'big win for South Texas' and touted $1.94 million in earmarks he secured, but his 54.6% Hispanic district — with a 15.7% poverty rate — stood to lose health coverage and food assistance under the bill's Medicaid work requirements and SNAP cuts. The contradiction is between his public…
[ Show full analysis ]
Cloud celebrated the OBBB as a 'big win for South Texas' and touted $1.94 million in earmarks he secured, but his 54.6% Hispanic district — with a 15.7% poverty rate — stood to lose health coverage and food assistance under the bill's Medicaid work requirements and SNAP cuts. The contradiction is between his public celebration of a bill whose safety-net reductions hit his own constituents hardest, while using federal earmark funding to inoculate himself politically.
position_evolution 60/100
Platform: "Cloud voted against McCarthy for Speaker on 11 ballots (Jan 3-6, 2023) as part of the 'Never Kevin' Freedom Caucus bloc, branding himself an anti-establishment insurgent. He posted a video saying: 'Sometimes it can…
[ Show full platform position ]
Cloud voted against McCarthy for Speaker on 11 ballots (Jan 3-6, 2023) as part of the 'Never Kevin' Freedom Caucus bloc, branding himself an anti-establishment insurgent. He posted a video saying: 'Sometimes it can look like chaos. But I came here to change how Washington works.'
"
Vote: on "On the 12th ballot (Jan 6, 2023), Cloud flipped and voted for McCarthy after a deal was struck…"
Cloud positioned himself as an anti-establishment insurgent, voting against McCarthy 11 times and stating 'I came here to change how Washington works.' He then flipped on ballot 12 after securing concessions. While the rules changes were real, the evolution from 'Never Kevin' holdout to Appropriations Committee…
[ Show full analysis ]
Cloud positioned himself as an anti-establishment insurgent, voting against McCarthy 11 times and stating 'I came here to change how Washington works.' He then flipped on ballot 12 after securing concessions. While the rules changes were real, the evolution from 'Never Kevin' holdout to Appropriations Committee insider — securing earmarks and serving on the Oversight subcommittee on DOGE — reflects the institutional arc of a Freedom Caucus member moving from outsider to appropriator.
platform_vs_vote 60/100
Platform: "Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) fired thousands of federal workers in Cloud's district — the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported that Indivisible Coastal Bend protesters at Cloud's office…
[ Show full platform position ]
Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) fired thousands of federal workers in Cloud's district — the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported that Indivisible Coastal Bend protesters at Cloud's office specifically cited 'DOGE's firing of federal workers and Trump's budget cuts to Medicare, Social Security and food assistance programs' as harming his constituents. Cloud enthusiastically championed DOGE from his position on the House Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency.
"
Vote: on "In his official newsletter after the OBBB vote, Cloud celebrated the bill, saying: 'This bill…"
Cloud championed DOGE from his Oversight subcommittee position and celebrated the OBBB as a 'big step' toward fiscal reform. Meanwhile, his Corpus Christi constituents protested that DOGE was firing federal workers in their community and the OBBB cut Medicare benefits. His institutional role in DOGE oversight and his…
[ Show full analysis ]
Cloud championed DOGE from his Oversight subcommittee position and celebrated the OBBB as a 'big step' toward fiscal reform. Meanwhile, his Corpus Christi constituents protested that DOGE was firing federal workers in their community and the OBBB cut Medicare benefits. His institutional role in DOGE oversight and his votes for deficit-expanding legislation both ran counter to the interests of his own district's federal workers and safety-net recipients.
Last silence detection: Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:58:18 GMT (via scheduled run)
In-person town halls and direct constituent accessibility in TX-27
216d silent
Expected position: As the representative of a district where local activists and residents repeatedly requested in-person town halls, Cloud would be expected to provide direct public forums for constituent engagement — particularly after voting for the OBBB…
[ Show full donor-interest summary ]
Expected position: As the representative of a district where local activists and residents repeatedly requested in-person town halls, Cloud would be expected to provide direct public forums for constituent engagement — particularly after voting for the OBBB, which critics said would cut Medicaid for thousands in his 15.7% poverty-rate district. Evidence of activity on adjacent topics: Indivisible Coastal Bend and allied groups repeatedly asked Cloud to hold an in-person town hall, sending letters, emails, and calls. On March 6, 2025, Cloud's office replied that no public events were scheduled. On March 22, constituents held a rally at his Corpus Christi office urging attendance and organized an 'Empty Chair Town Hall.' Cloud did not attend. On August 7, 2025, a constituent op-ed in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times accused Cloud of showing up only at 'staged photo-ops' and sending 'say-nothing-but-party-line newsletters.' Cloud's office maintained he was accessible but the pattern of avoiding in-person open forums while appearing at controlled events persisted. Primary URL: https://www.caller.com/story/news/local/2025/03/22/corpus-christi-us-representative-michael-cloud-congress-rally-town-hall/82515932007/
ideological & single-issue
Susan B Anthony List Inc. Candidate Fund (amounts: $6,000 (2024)) — interest area: ideological & single-issue
colleagues' leadership pacs
Buckeye Liberty PAC, Conservative Opportunity Leadership & Enterprise PAC - Colepac, Texas Republicans United PAC (Tru PAC), Let'S Get To Work PAC (amounts: $10,000 (2026), $6,000 (2026), $5,000 (2026), $7,000 (2026)) — interest area: colleagues' leadership…
[ Show full donor-interest summary ]
Buckeye Liberty PAC, Conservative Opportunity Leadership & Enterprise PAC - Colepac, Texas Republicans United PAC (Tru PAC), Let'S Get To Work PAC (amounts: $10,000 (2026), $6,000 (2026), $5,000 (2026), $7,000 (2026)) — interest area: colleagues' leadership pacs
other candidates' committees
Huck PAC (amounts: $5,000 (2024)) — interest area: other candidates' committees
party committees
House Freedom Fund (amounts: $5,000 (2026)) — interest area: party committees
other / unclassified
American Revival PAC (amounts: $5,000 (2024)) — interest area: other / unclassified
National Beer Wholesalers Association PAC (Nbwa PAC) Alcohol & tobacco $5,000 (2024)
American Israel Public Affairs Committee PAC Law & lobbying firms $10,000 (2024)
Let'S Get To Work PAC Colleagues' leadership PACs $7,000 (2026)
American Revival PAC Other / unclassified $5,000 (2024)
House Freedom Fund Party committees $5,000 (2026)
Phillips 66 PAC Oil, gas & mining $6,000 (2026)
Texas Republicans United PAC (Tru PAC) Colleagues' leadership PACs $5,000 (2026)
Huck PAC Other candidates' committees $5,000 (2024)
Cheniere Energy Inc. PAC Oil, gas & mining $7,500 (2026)
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. PAC Technology $10,000 (2026)
Conservative Opportunity Leadership & Enterprise PAC - Colepac Colleagues' leadership PACs $6,000 (2026)
Dell Technologies PAC Technology $5,000 (2024)
Buckeye Liberty PAC Colleagues' leadership PACs $10,000 (2026)
Basf Corporation Employees Political Action Committee Oil, gas & mining $6,500 (2026)
Susan B Anthony List Inc. Candidate Fund Ideological & single-issue $6,000 (2024)
TopicPriorityAlignmentDeviation
Environment & Coastal Conservation 60 25 55
Healthcare Access & Cost 83 45 35
Cost of Living & Housing Affordability 80 55 25
Veterans & Military Affairs 64 55 20
Education & Workforce Training 76 70 12
Government Spending & Debt 71 78 10
Water Rights & Agricultural Policy 68 72 10
Disaster Resilience & Flooding 84 78 10
Small Business & Trade 74 82 8
Border Security & Immigration 92 88 8
Crime & Public Safety 70 75 8
Energy & Oil/Gas 90 95 5
No platform commitments archived
No committee memberships recorded
Scoring Methodology

The Capture Risk Score is a composite 0–100 index measuring potential regulatory capture of elected officials. It is computed from seven weighted components:

ComponentWeightSignal
Contradiction Risk30%Stated positions contradicted by the record (recent findings boosted)
Donor Influence20%Distinct documented donors (FEC Schedule A PACs); inferred donors do not count
Connection Density20%Mapped relationships to lobbyists, contractors, interest groups; donor links excluded
Silence Risk15%Topics where donors have interests but the official is silent
Intelligence Volume15%Documented facts from verified sources
Constituency Deviation0%Shown, not weighted — a model estimate, not a record
Voting Misalignment0%Shown, not weighted — needs platform commitments almost nobody has; the roll-call record on /votes is the vote signal

Each component is the member's standing among all scored members of Congress, and the weighted sum is the overall score. Tiers are ranks: Critical is the top 5%, High the next 10%, Elevated the next 20%, Moderate the next 30%, and Low the rest.

Officials without at least 2 documented facts, 1 contradiction analysis, 1 voting record, or 1 constituency baseline are marked Insufficient Evidence and excluded from numeric ranking.

Contradiction findings from the last 180 days receive a recency boost. High-severity contradictions (score ≥ 70) receive additional weight.

Full methodology: /congress/methodology

[PUBLIC COST ESTIMATE]
Documented financial relationships span 0 money flow chains, while 1 elected official holds documented connections.
$1.7BDonor Contributions
0Money Chains
0Traced Hops
Connected Officials
Calculation Methodology

Contract values are summed from documented money flow chains where this entity appears as a source or destination node. Amounts are drawn from USASpending.gov, FEC filings, SEC EDGAR, or LD-2 lobbying registrations.

Donor contributions aggregate documented amounts from the donor_interests table, sourced from FEC individual and PAC contribution filings.

Connected officials are elected officials in our database with a mapped relationship (lobbying, board membership, campaign contribution, etc.) to this entity.

Annualised flow represents the total documented dollar amount traced through money flow hops involving this entity. Where hop-level amounts are unavailable, the chain-level documented total is used as a conservative upper bound.

All figures are drawn from public filings. Estimates are conservative — undisclosed transactions, dark money, and vanish-point hops are excluded from totals. This is a minimum documented floor, not a ceiling.

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