Conservative Activist Says He's Going To Release Secret Bonnen Tape

Texas Capitol Building
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AUSTIN (1080 KRLD) - On Thursday morning, conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan tweeted that he will release the secretly recorded audio of a meeting with Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Republican Caucus Chairman Dustin Burrows in Bonnen’s Capitol office

“Because these Republican leaders (Abbott/Patrick/Dickey) continue to call for the recording to be made public and I have been given the green-light by my legal team to do so, I will release the audio next week.”

Because these Republican leaders (Abbott/Patrick/Dickey) continue to call for the recording to be made public and I have been given the green-light by my legal team to do so, I will release the audio next week.

— Michael Quinn Sullivan (@MQSullivan) October 10, 2019

Texas Democrats filed suit in Travis County District Court calling for the Judge to force Sullivan to turn over the controversial secret tape of a meeting with Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Republican Caucus Chairman Dustin Burrows.

Sullivan, the CEO of Empower Texans says the secret meeting tape includes a quid pro quo from Speaker Bonnen saying he’d offer press credentials in exchange for help ousting 10 incumbent moderate Republicans that oppose him.

Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilbert Hinajosa says the tape could prove illegal activity such as “a violation without a proper reporting of the election laws of the State of Texas. So that’s the purpose of trying to get this tape.”

Rice University Political Scientist Mark Jones says there’s been a dark shadow over Texas Republicans because of this issue since the scandal broke in July. “I think Republicans want Sullivan to actually release the tape so they can move past this and at least essentially not have to deal with the conjecture anymore.”

A court hearing on the matter is set for October 15.