Texas Democratic candidate for governor sues to review emails between Elon Musk and Greg Abbott

Texas state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor, announced a lawsuit Monday against Gov. Greg Abbott over emails between his office and Republican ally Elon Musk.

Hinojosa — who is challenging Abbott in a tight contest — said at a news conference that she filed the suit to obtain redacted documents that “Abbott refused to release,” claiming they were being withheld because they are “intimate and embarrassing.”

A spokesperson for Abbott called the lawsuit “baseless” and “nothing more than an act of desperation.”

“Even worse, State Representative Gina Hinojosa is abusing her official capacity as an outgoing lawmaker to generate headlines for political purposes,” Abbott’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, said in a statement. “Texans see this for what it is: a political stunt.”

Musk, who is CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hinojosa’s lawsuit alleges the “documented connections between Abbott and Musk are extensive,” including “personal interactions, joint public appearances, large political contributions, economic-development incentives, and public praise for one another.”

She claims that Abbott and Musk speak “frequently” and that Musk has “contributed approximately $366 million to Republicans and Republican-supported PACs,” including “large amounts, directly and indirectly, to help…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business