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Bonnen leadership in peril? What's Your Point?

Published  August 11, 2019 12:49pm CDT
What's Your Point?
FOX 26 Houston

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - This week's panel: Ben Streusand, conservative commentator, "Three Amigos", KSEV Radio; Carmen Roe, Houston attorney; Antonio Diaz-, writer, educator and radio host; Jacquie Baly, UH Downtown Political Science Professor; Ben Ferguson, conservative radio host; Craig Jackson, Professor, TSU Thurgood Marshall School of Law, talk about the latest in the scandal involving the Texas speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen and Michael Quinn Sullivan.

Lots to update in the ongoing scandal involving Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and conservative provocateur Michael Quinn Sullivan, In a secretly taped meeting between the two, Bonnen allegedly offered Sullivan House press credentials for Empower Texans writers in exchange for political attacks on 10 republican members.

This week Bonnen issued an apology saying "I said terrible things that are embarrassing to the members, to the house and to me personally." Also, this week, the Texas Democratic party sued Sullivan seeking release of the recording while also alleging violations of the state election code during the unlawful meeting. Finally, tomorrow in Austin, the whole ugly mess will be taken up at a hearing of the House General Investigating committee.

HOUSTON (FOX 26)  August, 4, 2019   

Last week it was just a controversy, this week the allegations surrounding Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen have morphed into a full blown crisis. at issue is a backroom meeting between Bonnen and conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan, during which the speaker allegedly offered House press credentials to writers working for Empower Texans, in exchange for orchestrated political attacks against ten republican incumbents in the 2020 primaries. Some see that "quid pro  quo"  as an old fashioned bribe, offered illegally on state grounds.

This week Bonnen's denials were stymied by the emergence of an audio recoding of the meeting, which multiple Republicans have heard and say confirms Sullivan's account of events. Law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Rangers, are investigating. Dennis Bonnen has since called for the tape to be made public. Some are suggesting the Speaker's days as Speaker may be numbered.