Abbott Dismisses Hinojosa’s Lawsuit on Musk Communications

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has rejected a lawsuit by Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, as a ‘lazy political stunt.’ Hinojosa filed the lawsuit to access confidential communications between Abbott’s office and Elon Musk’s companies. This follows the denial of her request for unredacted records involving Musk by Abbott’s office.

‘The lawsuit is baseless and nothing more than an act of desperation,’ said Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary. ‘Texans see this for what it is: a political stunt.’

Abbott criticized Hinojosa’s motives, suggesting she seeks attention for her campaign. ‘What Gina is trying to do is attract attention for her and her campaign,’ he stated. ‘This election is slipping through her hands.’

Newsweek has reached out to Abbott and Hinojosa’s teams for comments.

Hinojosa’s Justification

Hinojosa argued her role as a state lawmaker entitled her to review the communications. ‘The people of Texas and House District 49 are concerned over the growing power of tech giants in Texas regarding our tax dollars, resources, and data,’ her request in September read.

At the Travis County courthouse, Hinojosa emphasized the need for government transparency and Musk’s influence. She highlighted Musk’s $500,000 donation to Abbott and the $1.7 billion property tax breaks received by Musk’s businesses like SpaceX and Tesla.

Details of the Confidential Documents

The documents center around a 2025 public records request that sought communications between Abbott’s office and Musk or his companies. Abbott’s office opposed the release, citing legal protections like attorney-client privilege and the state’s competitive business interests.

In August 2025, Attorney General Ken Paxton partially upheld these objections but directed some materials to be released. Abbott’s office disclosed 1,374 pages, with only about 200 being unredacted.

Hinojosa requested to inspect the full documents, offering to sign a confidentiality agreement. Abbott’s office denied this request, leading to the lawsuit. Abbott’s lawyers claimed she sought the records for her campaign, not legislative purposes.

The lawsuit also mentions discussions about selling Boca Chica State Park to Musk’s SpaceX. This comes as Abbott campaigns for a fourth term as governor while intensifying criticism against Hinojosa.