Bonnen nixes ’20 run in audio fallout
House speaker saw crumbling support from GOP allies after recording’s release
AUSTIN — Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen surrendered three months after right-wing activist Michael Quinn Sullivan publicly called him a liar and threatened to release a recording of a private conversation they had in June.
Bonnen, a top Republican in state government, announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection, one week after Sullivan made good on his threat.
Sullivan gave the 11-term state lawmaker a parting shot: “He could have recanted privately. He instead chose lies, deceit, dishonor, and ruin. He has gone from the third-ranking constitutional officer in Texas to a cautionary tale about the dangers of political hubris,” he wrote.
It was about the only political victory that Sullivan’s group, Empower Texans — funded and chaired by Midland oilman Tim Dunn — can claim this year, after a legislative session in which the group’s priorities were shoved to the sideline by a Legislature bent on pumping billions more dollars into education, and tamping down growth in property taxes.
While Sullivan and the Empower Texans-affiliated Texas Scorecard publication fumed in the spring about too little tax reform and too much spending, Bonnen publicly told members of the Texas House that he would not be bullied by advocacy groups.
But in June, Bonnen — a 47year-old bank executive from Lake Jackson — privately called for a meeting with Sullivan, who surreptitiously recorded Bonnen’s pitch as he tried to win Sullivan over.
Empower Texans is best known for spending millions — $9.5 million since 2007 — to elect conservative Republicans by
challenging moderates from the right. The group’s track record in primary elections is limited. But it has proven adept at toppling House speakers who push against its agenda, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston.
The group’s target in past years was Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio, who decided not to seek re-election in 2017.
“The rumors of the death of Empower Texans have been greatly exaggerated,” said Rottinghaus. “They are still a force and can still make noise even if by some accounts their authority and power are waning.”
Formed in 2006, Empower Texans supports conservative and small government policies. The organization has several branches, including Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, which operates as a conservative think tank, and the Texas Scorecard . Together, the groups lobby, write about and pressure lawmakers. Affiliated nonprofits act as a conduit for political donations that are made in a way that keeps donors’ identities from being disclosed.
In the recording, Bonnen is heard asking Sullivan to train his political firepower on 10 moderate Republican members of the Texas House, offering them up as sacrificial lambs so Sullivan would lay off the rest of the House’s GOP members.
In return, Bonnen offered Sullivan’s group press credentials that would give his staff access to the House floor as members deliberate and vote on legislation.
90-day free fall
At first, Bonnen tried to minimize what he said in the meeting, and he himself called for the recording’s release. As it played and replayed on every media outlet in Texas last week, Bonnen
referred to it as “nothing more than a political discussion — the problem is that I had it with that guy.”
Bonnen’s support in the House took a nosedive over the weekend. Members of the House Republican Caucus condemned his “offensive language and statements” on Friday, yet left open the possibility that he could remain speaker.
But by Monday, four of his appointed chairmen and a fifth ally said they could no longer support him as speaker. Bonnen named 43 members of the 83-member caucus who convinced him to eventually step down — including his brother, Republican Greg Bonnen of Friendswood.
“After much prayer, consultation, and thoughtful consideration with my family, it is clear that I can no longer seek re-election as State Representative of District 25, and subsequently, as Speaker of the House,” Bonnen said in an emailed statement. “I care deeply about this body and the work we have accomplished over the years, namely, the outstanding success we achieved in the 86th Legislature.”
Bonnen’s fall was remarkably swift, noted longtime Austin lobbyist and consultant Bill Miller
“This guy owned the world, and now he’s not part of the world, all in 90 days,” he said.
While Empower Texans heralds Bonnen’s decision not to run for re-election as a victory, the group is now pushing lawmakers to hold a special session to elect a new speaker and take up a conservative agenda.
The Texas Rangers are investigating accusations against Bonnen, and will turn over their findings to both the Legislature and Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne, who will decide whether there is evidence of a crime.
Possible criminal charges include abuse of official capacity, which covers misusing government property, with varying penalties depending on the value of the item. There is no set value for media credentials. A bribery charge is another possibility. Bonnen’s attorney said this week that neither side would have benefited financially from Bonnen’s offer.
While taking down the speaker has elevated the profile of Empower Texans, the covertly recorded audio makes the group “radioactive,” said Jon Taylor, professor of political science and chair of the Politics and Geography department at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
“If you’re a Republican in the legislature or a state official, you have to ask why in God’s name would you ever work with Empower Texans again,” he said.
Dems: ‘A victory’
Democrats celebrated Bonnen’s announcement and dropped a lawsuit against Sullivan to obtain the audio.
“This is a victory for transparency and accountability,” said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa in a statement. “Texans are tired of politicians, like Republican Speaker Bonnen, who use backroom deals, cover-ups and outright lies to pursue power over everything. Now more than ever, it is clear that only the election of Texas Democrats will return of ethics and good governance to our great state.”
Neither Republican Gov. Greg Abbott nor Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick commented on what Bonnen said on the recording or his decision to eventually step down from office, but both pledged to step up their efforts to ward off attempts by Democrats to flip the Texas House. Abbott committed to helping each of the Republican members by visiting their home turf.
“All Republican House members have a list of accolades that makes them worthy of reelection, and I will work with each of them to tell that story to voters in their district,” Abbott said.