BREAKING: Judge Orders Release of Unredacted Abbott-Musk Emails to Hinojosa

Austin, TX – Today, Travis County Judge Catherine Mauzy ruled that Governor Greg Abbott must allow State Rep. Gina Hinojosa to review more than a thousand pages of unredacted communications he’s had with trillionaire Elon Musk, that the governor previously tried to withhold saying that they were too “intimate and embarrassing.” Abbott has attempted to skirt Hinojosa’s statutory right as a state legislator under the Texas Public Information Act to inspect documented communications between the governor and Elon Musk.

“For 12 years, Greg Abbott has sold out Texas to his billionaire and trillionaire donors, but the buck stops here,” said Hinojosa. “Texans built this great state, and we aren’t going to let Abbott’s donors continue buying up our land, shutting down our schools, or taking our water and electricity for their benefit. The people have the right to transparency, and that’s why I’m continuing to fight for the documents between Elon Musk and Greg Abbott.

“Abbott uses his power for his donors. As Governor, I’ll use my power to secure the American Dream for working Texans by saving our schools, putting money in people’s pockets, and ending Greg Abbott’s corruption.”

On October 19, Hinojosa filed a lawsuit against Abbott for unlawfully denying her statutory right under the Texas Public Information Act to inspect the documented communications, including the emails previously provided to the Texas Newsroom. The governor’s office already assembled and reviewed records in response to the Texas Newsroom’s request, producing all 1,374 pages – and all but about 200 pages were redacted or completely blacked out. Abbott has refused to make any of the documents public. 

The documented Abbott-Musk connections include direct communications, substantial political contributions, and economic development incentives benefiting Musk’s companies, raising questions about whose interests Abbott is serving. Abbott has given billions of dollars in grants and tax breaks to Musk’s companies in Texas, including a $1.66 billion tax break shortly after Musk donated $500,000 to Abbott’s reelection campaign this year. In July, Abbott came under fire from his own party for his relationship with Musk after calling the Texas Broadband Office to award Musk’s Starlink $110 million upfront, leading to an audit of the office.

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