Texas Governor Greg Abbott has refused to release months of private emails exchanged with billionaire Elon Musk, claiming the correspondence contains information that is too “intimate and embarrassing” to disclose.
Musk has become a major figure in Texas politics since relocating SpaceX and Tesla headquarters to the state. Over the past year, he has successfully lobbied for numerous legislative changes and even built his own city, Starbase, in Cameron County.
In an effort to examine Musk’s influence on Texas lawmaking, the Texas Newsroom—a collaboration of public broadcasters in the state—requested all communications between Musk and Abbott. Initially, Abbott’s office agreed to the request and charged the outlet $244 for the records.
However, after payment was made, Abbott’s legal counsel reversed course and refused to provide the emails, arguing that they are “highly intimate or embarrassing” and that releasing them would be “highly objectionable” and “not of legitimate concern to the public.”
While the content of the emails remains confidential, a letter from SpaceX attorney Kevin Bagnall to Abbott’s office—supporting the decision to withhold the records—claimed the emails contain “commercial information whose disclosure would cause SpaceX substantial competitive harm.” Much of the letter itself was heavily redacted.
Abbott’s spokesperson responded by stating, “The Office of the Governor rigorously complies with the Texas Public Information Act and will release any responsive information that is determined to not be confidential or excepted from disclosure.”
The Texas Attorney General’s office now has 45 business days to decide whether the emails should be released.
A recent ruling by the Texas Supreme Court allows Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton to withhold public records containing confidential attorney communications. This legal provision has been described as an “ace card” that politicians use to avoid transparency and accountability.
The same ruling was recently used by Abbott and Paxton to block the release of emails related to the January 6 Capitol attack and private communications with gun lobbyists following the 2022 mass shooting in Uvalde.
Attorney Bill Aleshire told the Texas Newsroom, “You’re boxing in the dark. You can’t even see what the target is or what’s behind their claim.”
He added, “Right now, it appears they’ve charged you $244 for records they have no intention of giving you. That is shocking.”
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