- Democrat Texas House candidate Josh Wallenstein, a self-styled “Anti-Corruption Lawyer,” actively advertises his work representing those accused of corruption by the World Bank
- Despite affordability campaign rhetoric, Wallenstein has endorsed new taxes on billionaires and a $2 billion bond for Harris County infrastructure
- Wallenstein is challenging incumbent Republican State Representative Mano DeAyala in House District 133
In advertisements for his Texas House campaign, Democrat Josh Wallenstein presents himself as an “Anti-Corruption Lawyer” who wants to lower costs for Texans.
The record, however, paints a much different picture.
“For 20 years, I have rooted out corruption and fraud,” says Wallenstein, who is running to unseat Republican State Representative Mano DeAyala in House District 133 in Harris County. “I fight corruption.”
A review of Wallenstein’s resume on LinkedIn does not reflect any work as a prosecutor. Instead, it shows that he has spent his career either in private practice or in-house roles for companies – including work for two major corporations that have paid massive monetary penalties for corrupt conduct, including bribery.
On his law firm’s website, Wallenstein actively advertises his services representing those who have been accused of corruption by the World Bank.
“Do you need a robust defense before the Sanctions Board? Are you responding to an investigation, negotiating a settlement, implementing a remediation program, or seeking release from a conditional debarment?
With over two decades of global compliance experience, Josh Wallenstein is the attorney of choice for World Bank Group work. He successfully served as a Compliance Expert for the World Bank, and would be pleased to discuss advocacy in your matter,” reads a page with the headline “World Bank Group Sanctions Advocacy” on the Wallenstein Law Group’s website.
According to his resume, Wallenstein worked as “Regional Compliance Counsel, Latin America” for Baker Hughes from 2008 until 2010. In 2007, a wholly owned subsidiary of Baker Hughes pleaded guilty to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by bribing an official at a state-owned oil company in Kazakhstan. As part of his job duties at Baker Hughes, Wallenstein represented the company before an independent compliance monitor imposed as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice.
Wallenstein then worked for Weatherford International, where he served as “Region Compliance Counsel, Middle East and North Africa” in Dubai from 2010 until 2012. In that role, Wallenstein says he “managed regional compliance duties within a broad portfolio for countries in the Middle East (including Iraq), North Africa, and Central Asia.”
As part of those duties, Wallenstein “Assisted the global compliance function in its discussions with U.S. enforcement authorities, including the U.S. DOJ, the U.S. SEC, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (Treasury).”
In 2013, three Weatherford subsidiaries pleaded guilty to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and the Trading With the Enemy Act. Weatherford and its subsidiaries agreed to pay over $252 million in penalties and fines to resolve the charges.
Wallenstein’s professional background is not the only area where his campaign rhetoric is inconsistent.
In a June interview, Wallenstein advocated keeping “taxes low” and making life “more affordable” for Texans. However, in a candidate questionnaire published by the League of Women Voters, he proposed a tax on billionaires and a $2 billion bond for Harris County infrastructure.
Wealth taxes and a state income tax are both currently prohibited by the Texas Constitution. In 2019, voters approved a Constitutional ban on a state income tax by a 74-26 margin. A State Constitutional Amendment to ban a wealth tax received support from 68% of Texas voters in 2023.
Wallenstein previously served on the Houston ISD Capital Planning Steering Committee, whose work laid the foundation for a $4.4 billion bond referendum that voters rejected in 2024 by a large margin.
The repeal of Texas’ new Education Freedom Accounts Program, which received over 274,000 applications and made over 100,000 awards in its inaugural year, has been a centerpiece of Wallenstein’s campaign for State Representative.
In an April interview, Wallenstein discussed his opposition to the program, which expands educational opportunities for students. In that same interview, Wallenstein acknowledged sending his son to an expensive private school.
