AUSTIN, Texas — On the first day of early voting Monday, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa announced she is suing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to force his office to let her inspect its communications with billionaire Elon Musk and his companies.
Hinojosa, a state representative from Austin, is asking a court to declare that Abbott’s office unlawfully denied her request under the Texas Public Information Act and to order it to make the records available.
“The people have a right to know, and I, as their representative, have a right to see them,” Hinojosa said at a news conference.
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Abbott’s office called the suit a political stunt.
“The lawsuit is baseless and nothing more than an act of desperation,” said Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary. He accused Hinojosa of “abusing her official capacity as an outgoing lawmaker to generate headlines for political purposes.”
Hinojosa filed her records request Sept. 29. It sought all documents exchanged between the governor’s office and Musk or his companies.
According to Hinojosa’s campaign, the governor’s office eventually produced 1,374 pages, all but about 200 of which were redacted or entirely blacked out.
“Is this going to be a Texas that is by and for the people, or is it just the billionaires’ world, and we just live here? This is in-your-face corruption,” said Hinojosa.
Abbott, who is seeking a fourth term, faces Hinojosa in the Nov. 3 general election.