This is my latest Elon Musk collaboration with
@propublica.org and @texastribune.org, published as part of a five-newsroom initiative to cover powerbrokers in Texas. No paywall!

PP: propublica.org/article/greg...

TT: texastribune.org/2025/11/19/g...

Got a tip for me? Reach me at [email protected].

Experts said this case illustrates how hard it's become to get info about government's dealings with business. Corporate titans like Elon Musk don't want to release records and politicians side with them.

The public, the experts said, is left in the dark.

www.kut.org/politics/202... #txlege

Many of the records appeared to be redacted under the Public Information Act's exemption for information related to competition or bidding.

Musk did not respond to requests for comment. Abbott's spokesman said the governor followed the law.

www.kut.org/politics/202... #txlege #TPIA

We got our decision in August.

The AG said Abbott's office must release some emails with Musk. About a month later, we got nearly 1,400 pages of emails.

I was stoked. Until I took a look at the records. They were almost completely redacted. www.kut.org/politics/202... #txlege #FOIA

Our request for emails between Abbott + Musk kicked off a monthslong saga.

To catch y'all up: First, Abbott's office said it'd cost $244 to review the records. We paid up.

Then, they didn't want to release the records at all and asked the AG to keep them secret. www.kut.org/politics/202... #txlege

5/5 Have a tip for me to investigate? Here’s how to reach me.

Signal: lmcgaughy.40
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]

I write about Texas politics and policy, with a focus on Elon Musk, criminal justice and LGBTQ issues. #txlege

4/ These mortgage complaints have become an important cudgel for the Trump administration. One led to Letitia James' indictment.

But it's unclear whether Trump will even investigate the allegations against Paxton, a top ally. www.kut.org/crime-justic... #txlege

3/ Bonner said he filed the complaint as a private citizen — not in his official capacity. The Texas GOP did not comment. Neither did Trump's housing agency.

Paxton's spox did. He called the complaint unserious — and me unserious for writing about it. www.kut.org/crime-justic... #txlege

2/ Hunter Bonner, a Republican county chairman in East Texas, said he's filed a complaint with Trump's housing agency alleging there is evidence Paxton has committed mortgage fraud.

We got a copy of the complaint and write about it here. www.kut.org/crime-justic... #txlege

But the APD chief also told Mose she doesn't want her officers to cooperate more with ICE. If they do, she said, they could further lose the trust of local immigrant communities.

Other areas, like Harris County, are different. They do get a head up from ICE. More here: www.kut.org/crime-justic...