Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ The Texas House Speaker is accused of offering a quid pro quo and betraying members of his own Republican party during a secret meeting in June.

Today, a recording of that meeting came out.

Here's everything we know: bit.ly/2MOAR9Q

#txlege

2/ In June, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen had a secret meeting with a conservative activist named Michael Quinn Sullivan.

Rep. Dustin Burrows, then the House GOP Caucus chair, was also at the meeting. #txlege bit.ly/2qhLlqP

3/ Dennis Bonnen framed this meeting by telling Michael Quinn Sullivan that he’s “trying to win in 2020 in November.” #txlege bit.ly/2qhLlqP

4/ “Is there any way that for 2020 we sort of say … let’s not spend millions of dollars fighting in primaries when we need to spend millions of dollars trying to win in November,” Bonnen says on the recording released today. #txlege bit.ly/2qhLlqP

5/ Next, you can hear Dennis Bonnen urge Michael Quinn Sullivan to target members of their own Republican party in the 2020 primaries.

Bonnen then suggested he could get Sullivan’s group media access to the House floor. bit.ly/2qhLlqP

6/ That’s already a lot — let’s take a step back. Why does this matter?

Stick with us.


Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen had warned House members in May not to campaign against each other — or else, he said, there would be consequences.

bit.ly/2qhLlqP

7/ As Speaker of the Texas House, Dennis Bonnen wields a lot of power over legislation.

But the Speaker is also elected by Texas House members — so state representatives have some power over Bonnen, too. bit.ly/2MOAR9Q

8/ Bonnen’s comments to conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan contradicts his message to other Texas House members — and it has pulled him into political hot water. bit.ly/2qhLlqP

9/ Okay — so that's Dennis Bonnen. What about Michael Quinn Sullivan?

Sullivan is a hardline conservative activist. His group, Empower Texans, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on campaigns against GOP lawmakers deemed not conservative enough. bit.ly/2qhLlqP

10/ Also in the room for this meeting: Rep. Dustin Burrows.

Burrows is the one that provided the list to Michael Quinn Sullivan on the recording. bit.ly/2qhLlqP #txlege

11/ Dustin Burrows was the House GOP Caucus chair. He stayed silent on the allegations for weeks and eventually resigned as chair of the House GOP Caucus.

He remains a member of the Texas House. bit.ly/2qhLlqP

12/ Okay — that’s everyone that was in the room.

Now how about the people mentioned in the conversation?

That's a whole other long list. bit.ly/2qhLlqP #txlege

13/ Speaker Dennis Bonnen told Michael Quinn Sullivan that Rep. Dustin Burrows would list members to potentially target in the 2020 primaries. Bonnen could be heard leaving the room before Burrows listed off the names. bit.ly/2qhLlqP

14/ Those Republicans are: @stevefortx, @TrentAshbyTX, @Bailesfortx, @travisfortexas, @DrewDarbyTX, @KyleKacal, @RepStanLambert, @raneyfortexas, @repstephenson & @tparker63. bit.ly/2qhLlqP #txlege

@stevefortx @TrentAshbyTX @Bailesfortx @travisfortexas @DrewDarbyTX @KyleKacal @RepStanLambert @RaneyForTexas @RepStephenson @tparker63 15/ But those were not the only Texas lawmakers mentioned in the recording.

Several other lawmakers came up. bit.ly/2qhLlqP #txlege

@stevefortx @TrentAshbyTX @Bailesfortx @travisfortexas @DrewDarbyTX @KyleKacal @RepStanLambert @RaneyForTexas @RepStephenson @tparker63 16/ When Michael Quinn Sullivan asked about targeting state Rep. Keith Bell, Dustin Burrows says, “leave him alone. He’s just a dumb freshman.” bit.ly/2qhLlqP #txlege

@stevefortx @TrentAshbyTX @Bailesfortx @travisfortexas @DrewDarbyTX @KyleKacal @RepStanLambert @RaneyForTexas @RepStephenson @tparker63 17/ Dennis Bonnen said state Rep. Jon Rosenthal “makes my skin crawl” and is “a piece of shit.”

He recalled a comment his chief of staff made.

“His wife’s gonna be really pissed when she learns he’s gay.” bit.ly/2qhLlqP #txlege

@stevefortx @TrentAshbyTX @Bailesfortx @travisfortexas @DrewDarbyTX @KyleKacal @RepStanLambert @RaneyForTexas @RepStephenson @tparker63 18/ Speaking about state Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos, Dennis Bonnen said on the tape that he “can’t stand [her].” bit.ly/2qhLlqP #txlege

@stevefortx @TrentAshbyTX @Bailesfortx @travisfortexas @DrewDarbyTX @KyleKacal @RepStanLambert @RaneyForTexas @RepStephenson @tparker63 19/ Dennis Bonnen mentioned on the recording how he recruited someone to run against that “Talarico” kid — aka, state Rep. James Talarico.

In a statement Tuesday, Talarico said that “the Speaker has lost his way.” bit.ly/2qhLlqP #txlege

@stevefortx @TrentAshbyTX @Bailesfortx @travisfortexas @DrewDarbyTX @KyleKacal @RepStanLambert @RaneyForTexas @RepStephenson @tparker63 20/ Dennis Bonnen called state Rep. Michelle Beckley “vile” on the tape.

Beckley in a statement on Tuesday said the speaker should resign. bit.ly/2qhLlqP #txlege