Good morning,

At the widely reported insistence of Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey, I have released the full audio of the meeting I had earlier this summer with House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and now-former GOP Caucus Chairman Dustin Burrows.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Update your email preferences.

• When House Speaker Dennis Bonnen invited me to his office, I didn’t know he would immerse me in a quid pro quo scandal that threatens to – in the words of our lieutenant governor – “destroy” the Republican Party in Texas. I was suspicious of Bonnen’s actions during his several months as speaker; so much so that I decided as CEO of Empower Texans to protect myself, my family, my organization, and staff by recording the meeting.
     
• You can find specific clips and hear the full audio on our website. We have created a timeline of events surrounding the meeting, a full transcript of the recording, and timestamps of specific statements made.
      
• I recorded the meeting not to capture the “locker room” talk or gossip that is typical of meetings in the Austin swamp, but to ensure Bonnen could not lie about the meeting or distort its purpose in the future. I had in mind the lies he told (publicly and without any consequence so far) about Chris McNutt of Texas Gun Rights, and I have heard stories of him doing the same to others. I wasn’t going to let him do it to me.
       
• Bonnen explicitly offered an official act: granting media credentials for Texas Scorecard reporters which he and his leadership team have so far denied. In exchange, he requested I take actions benefiting him directly.
      
• He and Burrows have publicly denied having or offering a list, but you can hear Bonnen himself talking about the “list” of Republicans to “pop.” 
       
• You will recall Bonnen told the public late in the session he would not challenge any incumbent House members, going so far as threatening to punish any House members who did. The House GOP caucus even passed a rule in the spring prohibiting its members from working against other Republican incumbents.
      

• Throughout the conversation, Bonnen was insistent money not be spent specifically against him and Burrows. He disliked the rhetoric about the session, but “the money’s the issue” he said at the end of our meeting. Along with Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick, Bonnen spent the days after session declaring the session a major win for conservatives; a point grassroots  leaders and conservative activists have openly disputed.
      

• On that issue of rhetoric, Bonnen not-so-subtly acknowledged the session’s results weren’t great. He suggested that by taking out his list of Republicans and Democrats, we could expect “better” results in 2021. That’s a far cry from his public proclamations of the session being a home-run for conservatives.

Why Today?

• Many are wondering why today was chosen to release the audio. Simply: this is the Texas House Republicans’ mess to clean up. They unanimously chose Dennis Bonnen as their speaker, and they stood beside his session of public deceit. While many members of the House Republican Caucus availed themselves of the opportunity to hear the audio, many others did not. What none of them have had, until this week, is the opportunity to address the issue.
     
• The Texas House GOP caucus is meeting this weekend at the Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin. This will be the first time the caucus has met since the legislative session ended.

What Next?

• Republican voters should ask themselves how comfortable they are with Speaker Dennis Bonnen’s record of duplicity – especially in the face of lackluster (some say “purple”) policy results.
      
• Texans should be concerned with how ready Bonnen was to take an official action in exchange for political activity that benefited him. If he would do so with someone like me, with whom else – and what other actions – has he engaged in similar self-serving activities? And at what bigger stakes?