House to probe speaker in GOP quarrel
AUSTIN — Texas House lawmakers plan to investigate allegations that House Speaker Dennis Bonnen offered media credentials to a conservative political operative he encouraged to target 10 moderate Republicanlawmakers in the 2020 GOP primary election, a key committee chairman said in a letter Wednesday.
Rep. MorganMeyer, a Dallas Republican who chairs the House General Investigating Committee, said in a letter he hopes a public hearing planned for nextweek will bring “transparency, information, access and accountability to this matter.”
The committee has broad powers to investigate violations of criminal law or House rules. The committee can call witnesses to testify, issue subpoenas and make findings about the allegations, but the group is not a lawenforcement body. The committee can, however, make recommendations that the district attorney investigate violations of the law.
The allegations have roiled the House, which unanimously elected Bonnen to his first term as House speaker in January. Although Bonnen, R-Angleton, said hewould not tolerateHouse members campaigning against each other, Empower Texans CEO Michael Quinn Sullivan said Bonnen and his top lieutenant, Republican Caucus Chairman Dustin Burrows, offered hima quid pro quo deal to replace the 10 Republicans with more conservative candidates. Bonnen has denied the allegations.
Sullivan has since allowed select Republicans to listen to secretlyrecorded audio of their meeting. Several members who listened to the recording confirmed Bonnen and Burrows listed names of sitting Republicans the conservative group should challenge and made disparaging remarks about several members. Bonnen has since offered an apology, admitting he said “terrible things.”
The investigation was requested by Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, according to the letter. The hearing is expected to take place Monday, Aug. 12.