Travis County Judge Grants Hinojosa Access to Abbott's Communications With Elon Musk

A Travis County judge ruled on Monday that Gov. Greg Abbott must allow his Democratic challenger, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, to review more than 1,000 pages of unredacted communications between the governor's office and billionaire Elon Musk, FOX 7 Austin reported, one week before Election Day.

Hinojosa has been seeking access to the records since September, raising questions about Musk's political contributions to Abbott and his companies' business dealings with the state. In a video posted to social media, she criticized the governor's decision to withhold the communications. "He denied these, saying they are intimate and embarrassing," Hinojosa said, according to FOX 7.

Hinojosa also alleged that Abbott redirected a $100 million state contract to a Musk-owned company shortly after Musk contributed $500,000 to Abbott's campaign. FOX 7 reported that those allegations have not been established by the court's ruling. Abbott's office has appealed the decision, with his attorneys characterizing Hinojosa's legal action as politically motivated.

The ruling concerns Hinojosa's ability to inspect the records in her capacity as a state legislator, and it does not automatically require their public release, FOX 7 reported. While the legal dispute continues, Abbott was back on the campaign trail on Monday, joining Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton at a rally in Wichita Falls. Early voting runs through Friday, October 30, ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, November 3.