A Travis County judge ruled Monday that Gov. Greg Abbott must allow state Rep. Gina Hinojosa to review more than 1,000 pages of unredacted communications between the governor and Elon Musk — records Abbott previously tried to withhold, describing them as too “intimate and embarrassing.”
Travis County Judge Catherine Mauzy issued the ruling, finding that Abbott had attempted to block Hinojosa’s statutory right as a state legislator under the Texas Public Information Act to inspect the documented communications.
“For 12 years, Greg Abbott has sold out Texas to his billionaire and trillionaire donors, but the buck stops here,” Hinojosa said.
“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.”
On Oct. 19, Hinojosa filed a lawsuit against Abbott after he unlawfully denied her access to the records. Abbott’s office had already assembled and reviewed all 1,374 pages in response to a prior request from the Texas Newsroom — but all but approximately 200 pages were redacted or completely blacked out. Abbott has refused to make any of the documents public.
The documented connections between Abbott and Musk include direct communications, substantial political contributions, and economic development incentives benefiting Musk’s companies — raising questions about whose interests the governor is serving.
Abbott has awarded billions of dollars in grants and tax breaks to Musk’s companies operating in Texas. That includes a $1.66 billion tax break issued shortly after Musk donated $500,000 to Abbott’s reelection campaign this year.
In July, Abbott drew criticism from within his own party over his relationship with Musk after calling on the Texas Broadband Office to award Musk’s Starlink $110 million upfront — a move that triggered an audit of the office.
Hinojosa, who is running for governor, framed the fight over transparency as central to her campaign.
“Abbott uses his power for his donors,” she said. “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.”
